


What if...

by Agent 606 (thepineandthestar)



Series: They just got your messages~ [1]
Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: Basically many fluff, Deaf MC, Did I mention that I have an Unknown centered one?, Eyyyy we're on batch 2!!!, F/M, MC and Seven are childhood friends, MC and Zen are co-stars in a one-night only musical, MC as a LOLOL player, MC as a waitress and Jumin as the guy who got stood up, MC2 as a thief who stole MC's phone who was following Unknown's orders
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-27
Updated: 2017-10-10
Packaged: 2018-09-20 06:57:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 32
Words: 77,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9480209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepineandthestar/pseuds/Agent%20606
Summary: You didn't stumble upon an app called "Mystic Messenger" and didn't download it. You never opened it and are never connected to a mystic group chat with attractive guys....How would you meet the guys again?SIXTH: Sleeping with the enemyThere’s an old saying between brides that goes “If you’re lucky, you get to marry a rich old man, but if you’re luckier, you get to capture the heart of the daughter of the rich old man”.What? What do you mean “I made that up”?I didn’t make it up! Honest!Oh, yeaaaah! It only refers to me! LolololWell, I’m not a lucky hacker but I’m definitely luckier than the next person.That is, if you count being threatened to be killed by a huge mob of men a stroke of luck.





	1. Waiting for Player Two - 01

**Author's Note:**

> Okay first off, this is NOT a Yoosung × Reader meaning I will not use "You" as the pronoun but it will be "MC" and this MC is not based off of anyone, not even me.
> 
> Second of all, eyyyy WHAT IF!
> 
> What if MC was a LOLOL player who has relationship issues and what if Yoosung keeps on killing her character?
> 
> Then the answer to that is...

“Okay, but I’m telling you, it’s a really fun game to play and it’s total-. No it’s not wasting my time! It’s called getting a hobby,” The brunette woman huffed as she spoke her sentiment to her phone on speaker mode as her left hand’s fingers frantically typed four keys and her right hand hovered the mouse around

Her eyes were trained on the screen in front of her as it displayed the clear graphics of her game.

_“Don’t you think that you can have a different hobby? A serious one, you know? You can try painting or playing the violin or figure skating.”_

“Minjun, playing LOLOL is a serious hobby. As in I am _dead serious_ about playing it,” the girl stated, wanting to roll her eyes but choosing not too so that her focus would be on the monitor

_“MC, you know that my parents are serious people. They want me to be with someone who knows what she’s doing and is sure about her life decisions.”_ There was a sigh on the other line, _“MC, we’re in university now. Almost out there as adults. We have to be sure about our futures.”_

_Now_ the woman couldn’t contain the eye roll. She pressed the space bar, pausing her game, even if it was against her wants, to focus on the call instead.

“Look, Minjun, I’m not dating your parents; I’m dating you and that’s why I don’t need to try _too_ hard to impress them,” she spoke, “And, like you’ve said before, we’re almost adults and as an almost adult, I declare myself to be free to choose whatever hobby I want to have.”

_“MC, come on. We’ve been over this a thousand times. You have got to find something else to spend your time on, something that you can put on your resume.”_

“Uh, I can _so_ put it on my resume. I think employers would love seeing _Rank 3 Player on the Shooting Star server_ on ones resume,” MC responded

_“MC,”_ he groaned

“Look, Minjun, I’m going to make my own decisions because this is _my_ life and you don’t get to choose what I do and what I don’t do,” MC replied, furrowing her brows

_“MC, if we’re going to get married in the future, I would like my wife to follow me and what I think is good for her. I just want people to see us and say that we’re successful and don’t slack off.”_

“Okay _that_ is where I draw the line. First off, _if_ we get married, I’m not going to do everything you want me to do just because you think it’s good for me because, darn it, this is _my_ life. Second, _if_ we get married, I would never care if people think I slacked of just because I played games during my university days,” MC sighed, “You know what, Minjun, we’re both tired. I think it’s time to stop this call.”

_“MC,”_

“I said good bye,” MC responded before turning the call off

She sighed then leaned back on her chair. It was very often that they would fight because of MC’s hobby. Minjun thought that it was completely unnecessary for her to play and that she could’ve used the time to something more productive. Meanwhile, MC thought otherwise. She would defend LOLOL and the people that she played with. She enjoyed playing it so why would Minjun care? Why _should_ he care? It was _her_ life and she didn’t tell him to do things just because she wanted him to.

To be honest, MC was tired of all the pushing around. She and Minjun had been in a relationship since junior year in high school. MC thought that he was the perfect guy. Smart, talented, well-known, had a decent amount of money on his name, and good looking, absolutely good looking. He was kind and caring to her. He showed his love in different ways. Her parents approved of him and loved to see him with her. They were the picture perfect couple.

_But…_ MC frowned, _But why doesn’t it feel picture perfect?_

He was pushy. He wanted things to be done his way. His parents wanted her to do stuff that she found boring. He wanted her to be this, to be that, to be everything admirable on a girl. She knew that she could never be the perfect girl and she never strived for it but Minjun was always there, wanting her to push to her limits and become who she wasn’t. It was a stressful and frustrating event that occured almost every single day of her life.

And maybe now, the cons of having Minjun as a boyfriend was overweighing the pros.

She sighed then shook her head. They’d just finished an argument; it wasn’t fair for Minjun if she was thinking of breaking up with him while her emotions were at a very dangerous peak. For now, she should just clear her head and clean her room or apartment…

She took a short glance at her paused game.

Or maybe continue playing LOLOL?

•••

“For once, I am honestly _not_ playing,” the blond boy said as he placed the cup of instant coffee on his computer desk, “I have a ton of homework to do to be submitted soon,”

_“And?”_ the person at the other line responded

“And that’s it,” the blond finished

_“No, no, it’s not just it. There’s something else, Yoosung. Proceed.”_

“I told you, there’s nothing else,” the blond named Yoosung pursed his lips into a firm line

He waited for an answer from the other line but had none instead.

He sighed, “Fine. I don’t want to do my homework. I find them really _really_ pointless. I mean, I stay in uni for about seven hours a day, isn’t it enough time for studying?”

_“Knew it.”_ he could feel the smirk forming on his friend’s face

“Can’t we just go watch Lady of the Bracelets?” He asked

_“Good offer,”_ Yoosung smiled, _“But the boss wants a lot of things done by afternoon so…”_

“You hack fast right? Can you hack fast? I’m bored,” Yoosung responded

_“Jumin then. Pretty sure he’s available,”_

“The words ‘Jumin’ and ‘available’ are only put in one sentence when the words ‘is not’ are put in betweem them,” Yoosung frowned

_“Jaehee? Nah I’m not going to bother. She’s busier than Jumin. Zen, perhaps?”_

“On his practice. I have never seen him outside of practices. He’s probably really popular that he’d forgotten about us,” Yoosung answered

_“…V?”_

“You’re kidding, right?”

_“Well there’s no one else,”_

Yoosung ‘hmph’ed, pouting, “I hate being friends with old people,”

_“Yoosung, I’m just a year older than you and the others aren’t too old,”_

“But you’re all busy!” Yoosung whined

_“That’s what happens when you get a job. Anyways, all I can tell you is either get yourself some friends who also don’t want to do their homework or get yourself a girlfriend,”_

“Seven!” Yoosung exclaimed, blushing, “I don’t want a girlfriend just because I’m bored!”

He could hear the other person laugh, “It’s not fair for her, you know. Maybe that’s what _you_ do.”

_“Hey, when I manage to get a girlfriend, I cherish her and not do that.”_

“Hah, yeah, right.” Yoosung smirked, “Well I won’t hold you up for long, your computer _must_ be missing you.”

_“…Hello? Is it still Yoosung I’m talking to?”_

“Yep.” Yoosung nodded, “Bye for now, Seven!”

He turned the call off after the other said his goodbye then opened the messaging app for the RFA. On days like these, it was normal that the members were inactive. Who would even need to be active when there’s absolutely nothing to do there?

But still, he opened it up and checked if the others were online.

**Yoosung☆:** I’m so boooooooored.

**Yoosung☆:** Give me attention

**Yoosung☆:** Please!

[Crying emoji]

He placed his phone on the desk and took a sip from his coffee, patiently waiting for a response from anyone. He waited a good fifteen minutes when his phone beeped, alerting him that someone had responded.

**Jaehee Kang:** Attention

**Jaehee Kang:** There

Yoosung frowned but couldn’t help but be amused. He knew that Jaehee was just kidding and that she would give him the attention he needed if she had the time.

[Crying emoji]

His phone beeped once more.

**Jumin Han:** Elizabeth the 3rd wants to me to tell you that you have her attention

Yoosung smiled at this.

**Jaehee Kang:** Mr. Han have you arrived from the airport already?

**Jumin Han:** I’m on my way to my apartment

**Jumin Han:** I suppose you took great care of Elizabeth?

**Jaehee Kang:** Yes

**Yoosung☆:** Are you guys going to work talk orrrrr

**Jaehee Kang:** Yoosung, we’re busy

Yoosung pouted.

**Jaehee Kang:** As I was saying, Mr. Han, your appointments this afternoon had been rescheduled like you said

**Yoosung☆:** Dissed like an old sock puppet

**Jaehee Kang:** And the Cultured Citizens Organization had scheduled for a meeting with you

**Jumin Han:** When will it be?

**Yoosung☆:** I am lying on the cold, hard floor, waiting for someone to pick me up

**Jaehee Kang:** I told them I would give them a day this week, when would you like it to be?

**Yoosung☆:** Lonely, completely forgotten; probably forgotten through the ages of being abandoned

**Jumin Han:** Wednesday will be fine.

**Yoosung☆:** There was no light now, only darkness in the life of the lonely sock puppet

**Jumin Han:** Yoosung, I think you’ve been greatly affected by Luciel’s weirdness.

**Yoosung☆:** Given cold attention. As cold as the floor tiles.

**Jaehee Kang:** Mr. Han, your father knew about your empty schedule and wanted to talk to you as soon as possible

**Jumin Han:** Tell him I’m on my way

_Jumin Han has left the chatroom_

_Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom_

**Yoosung☆:** R U D E

_Yoosung☆ has left the chatroom_

_707 has entered the chatroom_

**707:** Waddup waddup~

**707:** Oh everyone’s gone…

_707 has left the chatroom_

•••

_Master Criminal_ : Uh, okay, Shooting Star, that was really rude

_Shooting Star_ : srry didnt see u there

_Master Criminal_ : Didn’t see me there?

_Master Criminal_ : You PK-ed me for the third time in a row!

_Master Criminal_ : UGH SOMEONE ELSE PK-ED ME TOO!

_YOU ADDED HACKER GOD IN THE CHAT_

_Shooting Star_ : Hacker God?

_Hacker God_ : whoa lolol

_Hacker God_ : top 3 players in the server

_Hacker God_ : we should form a party or a guild

_Master Criminal_ : I will never form a party with the two people who just PK-ed me!

_Master Criminal_ : What the heck is your problem with me?

_Hacker God_ : ur stats

_Hacker God_ : ure abt to lvl up so

_Shooting Star_ : Hacker God?

_Hacker God_ : thats the second time u said that kid

_Shooting Star_ : Is that you Seven?

_Master Criminal_ : Oh great my two worst enemies know each other in real life

_Master Criminal_ : Will you just stop it? I’m not doing anything to any of you so stop

_Master Criminal_ : THAT’S IT SHOOTING STAR

_Master Criminal_ : YOU’VE PK-ED ME FOR THE LAST TIME

MC growled then furiously used her avatar to kill the other player. She didn’t mind the chatting on the side of her screen, didn’t mind the pleas that Shooting Star was giving. He had been PK-ing her in the past three weeks and her stats weren’t leveling up due to all the times she died. So this time, she was going to see to it that Shooting Star had a taste of his or her own medicine.

Her avatar slashed and smashed Shooting Star’s avatar until the HP was down to 30. Shooting Star used some potion that gave him or her a hundred more but MC’s last attack went critical, ultimately killing Shooting Star’s avatar.

_Master Criminal_ : Take that sucker

_YOU REMOVED YOURSELF FROM THE CHAT_

_Hacker God_ : ooohhh you pissed him

•••

The next time MC was able to play LOLOL again was about two in the morning the following day. She had waited for a time when Shooting Star would be out of the server or busy with another opponent. Or maybe, possibly banned permanently.

_That would be better._

But she was disappointed once she actually logged in and saw that same avatar standing there next to hers.

“You again,” MC grumbled

_SHOOTING STAR ADDED YOU IN THE CHAT_

_Master Criminal_ : What do you want?

_Shooting Star_ : Why did you kill me back there? I thought I told you that I killed you accidentally

_Master Criminal_ : Do you really want me to believe that you killed me accidentally for more than ten times in the past week?

_Master Criminal_ : What do you think I am? Stupid?

_Shooting Star_ : No!

_Shooting Star_ : Honestly I thought you were an enemy…

_Shooting Star_ : Your colors are exactly like theirs lololol

_Master Criminal_ : Unbelievable

_YOU REMOVED YOURSELF FROM THE CHAT_

_SHOOTING STAR ADDED YOU TO THE CHAT_

_Master Criminal_ : What the heck?

_YOU REMOVED YOURSELF FROM THE CHAT_

_SHOOTING STAR ADDED YOU TO THE CHAT_

_Shooting Star_ : I JUST WATNED T O APOLOGUZE!

_Shooting Star_ : O SWARR!

_Master Criminal_ : …

_Shooting Star_ : i SERIOUSLY did not mean to kill your avatar

_Shooting Star_ : reallyreally honest about that

_Master Criminal_ : Do you, Shooting Star, think that I am THAT gullible?

_Master Criminal_ : Seriously?

_Shooting Star_ : I…

_Shooting Star_ : Let’s video chat

_Shooting Star_ : So you can see that I’m really honest about all of this

_Master Criminal_ :…

_Master Criminal_ : …fine

MC grumbled as she gave her Skope ID to Shooting Star. She turned the game off and then waited at her account in Skope for that dreaded call. She was going to tell him _so_ many things about how he should seriously stop PK-ing her.

_Who does this guy think he is?_

The notification for an incoming call from someone named _Kim-Yoosung_ came. MC accepted the call, remembering the profile icon as Shooting Star’s avatar. The screen opened and MC’s formerly furrowed brows weren’t so furrowed anymore. Her cheeks tinted a light pink as she saw the guy on the screen.

He had blond hair and some of it were pinned and he had the most gorgeous set of eyes.

_Prettier than Zen’s._ She noted, remembering the red eyes she once saw when Minjun’s parents dragged them to watch a musical.

She shook her head no at the thought of Minjun suddenly popping up in her head.

_Get a hold of yourself, MC. This is Shooting Star, the guy who’s been PK-ing you. And besides, you have Minjun, and Minjun is probably way better than someone who PKs characters._

Thankfully, Shooting Star was busy texting on his phone for him to notice MC flailing about and trying to calm her blush.

He took a glance once and put his phone down once he saw that his screen was showing Master Criminal… who was a girl… and definitely not a guy…

“You’re a girl?” He asked

“Wow, really? I didn’t know that! Thank you for pointing it out!” MC exclaimed, “I wouldn’t have known if you didn’t say anything. Gosh, you’re a life saver!”

“Okay, wow, sorry, no need to be sarcastic,” Shooting Star replied, “So, uh, what’s your name? I don’t feel comfortable calling you your username.”

“It’s MC,” MC answered

“Oh so _that’s_ where Master Criminal came from,” he spoke as if having an epiphany, “I’m Yoosung! Nice to meet you MC.”

“I’m pretty sure I didn’t go here to make friends,” MC responded

“Well, I’m really sorry. I really didn’t mean to. You _have_ to change your color motif though,” Yoosubg suggested

MC sighed, “If I _do_ change it, you won’t bother me again, right?”

“I wanted us to be friends too,” Yoosung added, “I mean, it would be really cool if the top three players on the server were friends in real life.”

“Yoosung, I’m not really there to make friends,” MC said, “I’m there to play my favorite game in the world and to not think about this hellhole that I’m in an-.” MC stopped before she could say anything further, “I’m sorry. I’m gonna logout now.”

“No, no, it’s fine. I’m used to those speeches,” Yoosung stated, “But I’m still not backing out on the friendship offer.”

MC sighed again and was about to speak when her phone rang.

“One moment,” she said to Yoosung before picking up her phone and putting it to her ear

“Hey, babe,” she started, “What’s up?”

_“MC, we need to talk. ASAP.”_

“Look, Minjun, if this is about LOLOL again, then no, I’m not going to stop playing just because your parents think that it’s unladylike and that it’s a waste of time,” MC spoke, “In fact, I’d do it even more just to spite them.”

_“MC I don’t want to lose you.”_

“Then you’re going to find a way,” MC pointed out, “I’m not going to change just because you want to have me. There are a _million_ guys out there, Minjun.”

There was a short silence on the other line.

_“Then… then you leave me no choice,”_

“And that is?”

_“I’m breaking up with you, MC.”_

Yoosung watched MC’s expression turn from anger to sadness.

“Wh-what?”

_“I’m breaking up with you.”_

“Just… just because of LOLOL. You’re breaking up with me.”

Yoosung wanted to turn the chat off. This was a very personal and private moment and he shouldn’t be hearing this. He was just someone who accidentally PK-ed her avatar a dozen time, not someone special enough to hear this.

_“My parents want a serious woman for me, MC.”_

“And it’s Shijee, isn’t it?”

_“Well it’s not just_ my _fault. You didn’t want to stop playing so my parents thought it would be best to find someone else. Someone better.”_

“Ha! Someone better?!” There were tears at the sides of MC’s eyes, “You’re looking for someone _better_ and you’re talking about Shijee? Tell me, Minjun, what do you like the most about her? The fact that she’s rich or the fact that she has C cup boobs?”

_“MC, please be rational.”_

“ _Shut up_! You have _no_ right to tell me to be rational, okay?” Yoosung almost fell to the ground at the scary tone, “You wasted years of my life trying to change who I am but you always tell me that you love me for me, I…”

“You know what, I’m happy. I’m really happy that you’re breaking up with me so the guilt wouldn’t be on me,” MC added, “I wasted enough of my life trying to please some snotty kid who wants to stay in his parents’ shadow. Then fine, we’re through. I’m _finally_ free, Minjun! Finally!”

She pressed the off button then threw her phone to the table gently. She hugged herself, forehead resting on her knees.

She had just been dumped but… but why did she feel more relieved then sad?

Yoosung cleared his throat, catching MC’s attention. She turned back to him, waiting for him to say something.

“I’m sorry that I had to hear that,” Yoosung started off, “But are you… okay?”

“I’m actually fine,” MC pointed out nonchalantly, “I feel so free and I feel like I could breathe.”

MC cracked a small smile, “I really feel like I wasted, what, four years? But I’m just so happy because I wouldn’t be wasting anymore time to some two-timer who only wanted me because I ‘look perfect as a trophy wife’.”

“Uh, if it helps,” Yoosung started, “You don’t seem like a trophy wife. You, um, you don’t deserve the title. I mean that in a good way.”

MC shot a small smile to the blond, “I really shouldn’t keep you from playing now.”

“It’s fine.” Yoosung shrugged, “I mean that though. For the few days that I’ve known you, you didn’t seem like someone who should just wait at home for your husband to arrive. You seem like someone who should get out there and make a mark, you know?”

MC nodded, “Thank you, Yoosung. Maybe it’s not bad to have you as a friend after all.”

“I don’t have much but I make sure that they’re really happy,” Yoosung replied then beamed at her, “You probably need some alone time so, uh, I’m gonna go now.”

Yoosung logged off after giving a short wave.

_SHOOTING STAR SENT A PRIVATE MESSAGE_

_Shooting Star_ : If it makes you feel any better

_Shooting Star_ : People who stop you from playing aren’t worth the time

_Shooting Star_ : You’re better off on your own than with someone who hurts you

•••

_Yoosung☆ has entered the chatroom_

**Yoosung☆:** SEVEN!!!

**707:** YOOSUNG!!!

**Yoosung☆:** I met Master Criminal

**Yoosung☆:** She’s… really feisty

**Yoosung☆:** And cute

**Yoosung☆:** I’m starting to feel something for her haha


	2. Waiting For Player Two - 02

_Kim-Yoosung is calling you_

MC raised a brow then accepted the call.

“Oh! MC! You picked up,” Yoosung stated

“Yeah, uh,” MC really didn’t know how to respond, “What’s up, I guess?”

“I was just wondering how you were,” Yoosung answered, “You weren’t playing LOLOL since, you know, that day.”

“Oh,” MC muttered, “I just… I didn’t want to get angry at anyone so I didn’t play for two, maybe three days.”

“You’ve been out for three weeks,” Yoosung pointed out, “If… if the break up’s bothering you, try, I don’t know, eating sweets and stuff? I joined this organization in school about break ups before and that was what most women said they did.”

“Did it help them?” MC asked

Yoosung nodded, “They quit the organization after two weeks. Guess they got over their exes.”

“I’m not bothered by the break up though,” MC replied

“So why would you rage on people then?”

“I… don’t know. Maybe I miss the fact that someone calls me at 3am to tell me to stop playing.” MC pursed her lips into a firm line, “And… and because I miss Minjun coming over to spend the night.”

Yoosung felt sad for MC. Sure, Yoosung was relieved that MC was single because that would mean that she’s available. Available for him.

…but she was still missing her ex.

“People warned me about loving too much then ending up falling too hard,” MC whispered, “Maybe I _did_ love him too much.”

“Do you want him back?” Yoosung asked

“Do I?” MC raised a brow, “I… doubt all the wrong things I did and what I should’ve done to keep him.”

“But he was just so perfect and, and I couldn’t help but admit that I…” MC trailed off, tears welling in her eyes, “I would never be perfect for him. He deserves someone better.”

“Don’t say that, MC,” Yoosung spoke in a low tone, “Just because you don’t feel perfect doesn’t mean that you don’t deserve someone who is. And besides, nobody’s perfect, MC.”

“In everyone’s eyes, he is,” MC replied

“You know what? I’m taking you out right now. Where do you live?” Yoosung asked, already putting on his jacket

“What? Where are you taking me?” MC questioned, “I don’t look presentable, sorry, I can’t.”

“I don’t care, MC. I already have money in my pockets and we’re going out for some ice cream and you’ll be really happy when you come back home,” Yoosung explained

“I don’t even know you that much,” MC pointed out, “Why should I trust you?”

“If a complete stranger texted you on an equally strange app, telling you to go to some apartment to bring a phone back would you do it?” Yoosung raised a brow

MC pondered on the question for a while, “Um… maybe? Probably yes so I could help them…?”

“Then you can trust me when I say that I’ll bring you home before the sun even sets,” Yoosung replied, “Now come on, address. I’ll pick you up in a few minutes.”

MC bit her lip and hesitantly told Yoosung the address to her apartment.

“Oh hey we live on the same area,” Yoosung commented, face lighting up in glee, “I’m actually about five minutes away. I’ll give you time to fix yourself though but if I were tp judge, you look fine.”

“Give me thirty,” MC stated then logged off to go take a quick shower

_Yoosung☆ has entered the chatroom_

**Yoosung☆:** Is it considered a date

 **Yoosung☆:** If I take a girl out for ice cream and a walk at the park

 **Yoosung☆:** To help her get over her ex?

 **ZEN:** …

 **ZEN:** What?

 **ZEN:** I can’t understand.

 **Jumin Han:** Yoosung is taking a girl for ice cream to help her forget her ex-lover and he is asking us if it can be considered a date.

 **Jumin Han:** What part of that do you not understand?

 **Jaehee Kang:** I think it’s because Zen is confused whether it is hypothetical or real.

 **ZEN:** Oh. No I wasn’t. I was just confused why Yoosung would ask that.

 **ZEN:** And I wasn’t talking to you, Trustfund kid.

_707 has entered the chatroom_

**707:** Guys!

 **707:** Yoosung’s going on a date!

 **707:** with a _really_ pretty girl

 **707:** her name’s MC

 **707:** studies in SKY University

 **707:** and has an aesthetically pleasing Instantgram

 **Yoosung☆:** Yeah. Thanks for introducing her to them for me

 **Yoosung☆:** I don’t think it’s a date though…

 **Yoosung☆:** She doesn’t think that it is soooo

 **ZEN:** Then it isn’t

 **ZEN:** How did you ask her?

 **Yoosung☆:** She started crying when we were Skoping so I told her that I’ll pick her up

 **Yoosung☆:** Turns out, she lives a few minutes away from me

 **707:** why was our dearest master criminal crying?

 **Jaehee Kang:** ?

 **Jaehee Kang:** Master Criminal?

 **ZEN:** If you want it to turn into a real date, moderate your gaming

 **707:** lolololol

 **707:** that wouldnt work well

 **707:** MC

 **Yoosung☆:** ia s lolilplaye4!

 **Yoosung☆:** Ha! Beat you to it

 **707:** it’s a match made in heaven lololol

 **ZEN:** True true

 **ZEN:** Don’t worry, Yoosung. You’ll find someone who isn’t hung up with their ex.

 **Yoosung☆:** Uh… she isn’t.

 **Yoosung☆:** As far as I know, her ex wants her to become someone she’s not

 **Yoosung☆:** AND IS FORCING HER TO STOP PLAYING LOLOL

 **707:** lets see

 **707:** her ex is Park, Minjun

 **Yoosung☆:** You have so much free time…

 **707:** oh no, not that. Minjun and his parents were there at the last party

 **707:** and so was MC

 **ZEN:** Oh yeah I remember them! His mother was one of my fans.

 **Jumin Han:** They’re the owners of a winery abroad.

 **Jaehee Kang:** And I recall that his father is an excellence awardee from the Prime Minister himself.

 **Yoosung☆:** …

 **Yoosung☆:** I lost already and I haven’t even started

 **ZEN:** No wonder she’s hung up on him

 **707:** lololol yoosung are you serious?

 **707:** MC is a solid gamer who killed your avatar who has greater than 50,000 HP in less than ten seconds

 **707:** and like you told me yesterday, _he_ dumped _her_ through a phone call

 **ZEN:** **Phone call are you serious?**

 **707:** yah and it’s because she plays too much

 **Jaehee Kang:** Well, if ever they would have a problem, it would be because this MC plays too much and Minjun doesn’t want her to.

 **ZEN:** You’re not as good-looking as me

_Jumin Han has left the chatroom_

**707:** where did Jumin go?

 **Jaehee Kang:** He just called me to say that he left because Zen is going to start talking about himself again.

 **ZEN:** _Like I was saying_

 **ZEN:** You’re not as good-looking as me but you’re not half bad. You’re kind and sympathetic. You can be childish but maybe that’s MC’s type

_Jumin Han has entered the chatroom_

**Jumin Han:** Assistant Kang has informed me that it was a false alarm

 **Yoosung☆:** You know what

 **Yoosung☆:** MC would be a great friend

 **707:** trying to fit to the friendzone? already?

 **Yoosung☆:** No.

 **Yoosung☆:** She’ll be a great friend for all of you

 **Yoosung☆:** She can teach Zen how to not be a narcissist

 **Yoosung☆:** Jaehee how to relax

 **Yoosung☆:** Jumin how to not be uptight

 **Yoosung☆:** And Seven… to, um, not prank me?

 **707:** not happening

 **ZEN:** I’m not _that_ much of a narcissist

 **Jumin Han:** I can be fun.

 **Jaehee Kang:** How can I relax with my workload?

 **Yoosung☆:** Nevermind

 **Yoosung☆:** I’m going to pick her up

_Yoosung☆ has left the chatroom_

•••

Yoosung stood at the door of the unfamiliar apartment. He knocked once and waited for the door to open even if he waited for about a minute or two. MC walked out of the house, locking the door behind her.

“Sorry I’m late,” she told the blond

Yoosung stood there, awestruck at how much MC looked better in person. He stopped himself from staring and uttering a breathy ‘wow’.

“I-, I-, n-no, it’s fine, really.” He let out a nervous laugh which, fortunately, MC didn’t take notice of

“Let’s go,” he spoke after clearing his throat

The start was awkward. How wouldn’t it be? They just met through an online game barely a month ago and spoke twice in that span. It was really _really_ awkward. Or maybe he was just hopelessly awkward that the awkwardness was only his.

“So where did you plan on taking me?” MC raised a brow

“At the park,” Yoosung answered, “And we’ll get ice cream.”

“Sounds like a date,” MC stated

Yoosung stopped walking which caught MC’s attention. He blushed a deep red, staring at the woman.

“D-Date?”

“Oh, no! No I didn’t mean it like that I’m sorry,” MC waved her hands in front of her, “I meant like a friendly date. I’m really sorry if I didn’t understand it well.”

Yoosung raised a brow, “You mean… you thought of this as a date?”

MC shrugged, “More or less, yeah but I… I guess that was wrong. I mean, I just broke up with Minjun…”

“No I… I was actually thinking if it was a date or not,” Yoosung admitted, “It would be if you’re willing. If you don’t want to, it’s okay.”

MC nodded, “Okay, okay, it’s… I’m sorry I’m not ready to date again.”

“Like I said, it’s okay,” Yoosung responded then continued on walking, the topic left behind

•••

Yoosung and MC sat at a park bench, watching as the children played with others. Their silence made Yoosung both anxious and comfortable. In a sense, he was glad that MC was willing enough to go with him somewhere to ease her pain.

“So,” Yoosung started, “Sorry if I’m going to pry on your personal life here but how long have you been putting up with Minjun?”

“Since we started college he changed. He was really sweet when we were in high school though. He genuinely cared and all the regular boyfriend stuff. With a plus,” MC answered then chuckled lightly, “I’m sorry, I really shouldn’t be making you upset.”

Yoosung shrugged, “It’s fine. And besides, I heard that talking about it makes you feel lighter.”

MC sighed, “I really don’t know what happened. Is it my fault because I played LOLOL too much? Is it his for trying to change me?”

“I have a question, MC,”

“Shoot.”

“Do you want to get back with him?”

MC fell silent again, frowning, “Sh-Should I? I mean, I don’t know. He’s my first boyfriend and, and I thought that he was the one,” she spoke silently then turned to him, “What about you? What do you think? Should I get back together with him?”

“Why me?” Yoosung raised a brow

“You look like someone who knows relationships well,” MC answered, “Pretty sure you’re used to these kinds of dilemma.”

Yoosung chuckled, “Are you serious? I’ve never even been on a date, how can I know?”

“Liar!” MC proclaimed, “With looks like that, you’re never going to be single.”

“I’m serious, MC!” Yoosung chuckled, “Honestly, I’ve never had a girlfriend before. I had a few classmates wanting to take me out but I refused because… I don’t know I guess maybe they weren’t my type?”

“Ooh so you’re pretty popular,” MC responded then cracked a small grin, “But seriously, be honest with me, do you think I should try with Minjun for one more time?”

Yoosung kept quiet for a while, pondering on the question. On one hand, this was his ticket into starting to date MC. It would be an easy transition from gaming enemies to friends to lovers. One the other hand, it would be unfair for MC if his answer was a lot biased. What if MC truly loved Minjun? Who was he to deny their love?

He opened his mouth to speak but an intruder had already walked in front of them and interrupted.

“Hi, I’m from the RFA and I’m doing a census on the former party guests,”

The two turned to the stranger and Yoosung gaped when he saw who it was.

“Seven! What are you doing here?” He asked, slightly confused and slightly pissed that his sanctuary with MC was broken

“Like I said, census on the party guests of the last party,” Seven repeated, “Good afternoon, MC, I’m Luciel and I’m one of the hosts of the charity party that the RFA hosted a year ago.”

“Uh, hi, Luciel,” MC greeted, still puzzled by what was happening, “What census is it?”

“Hm,” Seven pulled out a long list, “Let’s see. My agenda for you is, ah! Here it is!” The red head grinned, “How are you doing today?”

“What?” Yoosung exclaimed

“Ah, Yoosung, you seem like you know Luciel,” MC stated, turning to the blond

“How can I not? He told me once that the Prime Minister is a robot and the Queen of England is the one who controls him,” Yoosung replied

Seven burst out laughing, “And he fell for it, MC! He even wrote a paper on it and submitted it to his professor!”

MC looked up to the hacker then back to Yoosung.

“I have to introduce him now,” Yoosung deadpanned then sighed, “MC, this is Seven Oh Seven but we call him Seven. It’s not his real name. Luciel’s his real name*. He’s one of my friends in the RFA.”

“ _In_ the RFA?”

“Yeah, I’m actually one of the hosts too,” Yoosung explained, “Oh, and he’s also Hacker God o-.”

“Hacker God!” MC stood up, menacingly inching towards Seven, “ _You’re_ Hacker God?”

“Haha, yeah, why?” Seven asked, backing away ever so slightly

“You killed my character because I was about to level up,” MC responded, anger evident in her eyes

“Oh! That!” Seven chuckled nervously, “I remember that I actually have something to do bye!”

“Not so fast!” MC exclaimed, grabbing onto Seven’s hoodie

She elbowed his stomach and he doubled over in pain… Okay maybe he was exaggerating a bit but it was still a tiny bit painful.

“ _That’s_ for killing my avatar,” MC stated

“You hurt me really good,” Seven replied, “Aren’t virtual killings supposed to stay virtual?”

“Well if you _knew_ that I was supposed to level up and killed me, it doesn’t. But… wait. How did you know that I was going to level up?”

The world stood still for Seven. The two stared at each other and Seven took this as an opportunity to run away before MC found out that he used a few hacks to make the game more interesting on his part.

•••

 _The sky’s so blue._ MC noted as she looked up at the clear blue sky.

There wasn’t any cloud in sight, just the sky which was so _so_ blue. She tried to look around her too but all she saw were black and white as if she was watching from an old television. But this sky, it was so perfect and it seemed out of the ordinary. She felt comfortable just looking at it, as if it was hugging her and soaking away all her stress and pain and doubts.

_I can stay like this forever._

“It’s so perfect,” she whispered, closing her eyes

“Hey.”

She looked around but saw nothing, just the black and white scenery that she couldn’t quite figure out what. No one else was there, just her but… but she swore she heard a voice.

And it was so familiar.

She closed her eyes again, concentrating on the warm and fuzzy feeling the blue sky gave her and-.

“Hi, MC!”

Another voice. She didn’t try to close her eyes after. She tried looking around again but ending up with nothing once more.

The second voice was different from the first one. The first one sounded as if they were trying to get her attention, as if they wanted her to look at them, and only them. But the second one felt like the blue skies. They felt so warm and comforting that she wanted to just hear it over and over again and she wouldn’t mind not knowing where it came from as long as she could hear it forever.

Both voices were familiar but she couldn’t figure out whose voices they were.

“MC, just… just stop.”

There was that second voice again and she could now see cracks forming across the blue sky’s surface. The perfection was slowly being broken. It looked like the sky was shaking, trembling out of force.

“You ready, MC?”

But then there was that second voice and the gaps were filled by something golden. The skies were even more beautiful with the gold around it. Suddenly, everything was okay.

The sky was perfectly fine when the second voice spoke up again and she couldn’t help but crack a small smile. Her small paradise was fine again.

“MC!” The first voice went yelling and the world shook violently

MC put her hands on her ears, trying to push away the loud noise calling for her, willing for her to come and obey.

_Where’s the second voice?!_

She waited but there was no second voice. There was only chaos anadness. The blue skies looked like they were about to fall and the blue was starting to dissipate until everything was black and white.

The screaming stopped and MC breathed heavily, panic and fear induced in her.

Her paradise. It was all so broken.

•••

 **Yoosung☆:** It wasn’t a date!

 **Yoosung☆:** she made it clear!

 **707:** oh yeah? well she asked _you_ if it was a date and _you_

 **707:** it’s hard being your wingman you know

 **Jumin Han:** Why are we stressing Yoosung into having a girlfriend? He can use his time for more productive things.

 **Jaehee Kang:** Like?

 **Jumin Han:** Study his lessons so he would have good grades to ve qualified for C&R.

 **ZEN:** As expected of you…

 **ZEN:** If he wants to date, then let him. If he doesn’t then don’t.

 **707:** this is the very first time, since I’ve known Yoosung, that he has clicked with a girl!

 **Jaehee Kang:** Yes but I thought he was giving her space.

 **Yoosung☆:** She’s not ready okaaaay?

 **Yoosung☆:** I’ll go forward if she’s ready.

 **ZEN:** That’s really good. We have to be gentlemen after all.

 **707:** okay okay

 **707:** I’ll help u though

 **Yoosung☆:** She elbowed you in the stomach earlier

 **Yoosung☆:** You think she wants you to help me?

 **707:** she hasn’t met me yet so there’s a chance she’ll change her mind

 **ZEN:** Are you even going to introduce her to us? I’m tired of imagining a girl with brown hair, long bangs, and blank eyes.

 **Yoosung☆:** Okay

 **Yoosung☆:** But I call first dibs

 **Yoosung☆:** So who’s going to set it up?

 **707:** leave it to me

 **707:** _Defender of Justice, to the rescue!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *So we all know that Luciel is just his baptismal name, right? But in the canon chats, Yoosung doesn't know that and since this takes place one year after the last party (so one more year until the actual time setting), Yoosung DOES NOT know.


	3. Waiting for Player Two - 03

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey hey you guys! It's TP here hanging out with ma best bud Angst!

“I totally am aware!” Yoosung exclaimed, a blush playing on his cheeks and a smile on his lips

“No you weren’t,” MC responded with a fit of giggles, “You didn’t know that she was hitting on you!”

Yoosung took a glance at the smudged phone number written on his hand. He blushed profusedly at the memory of the green eyed lady who spoke to him and wrote it on his hand for him to call later.

“I just-, I’m not used to i-. Stop laughing, MC! It’s embarrassing!” Yoosung pouted, placing his palm down on the table in front of him, covering the number

“Let’s see,” MC started, stopping her laughter, “I know that she’s from the Arts department and is extremely pretty. You should give it a try.”

Yoosung furrowed his brows, “I don’t want to date someone just because I want to give it a try.”

“Well what’s your reason for dating anyone?” MC asked

“Because I love them and they love me. Simple as that,” Yoosung answered

MC stared at him for a while before throwing a piece of paper towel at him, “You’re so sappy.”

Yoosung shrugged.

“So when do you think you’ll start dating?” MC asked

“When I’m ready,” Yoosung responded, “I mean, it’s bound to happen some time, right? I’m not rushing anyways. I have a long way to go.”

“Yoosung, we’re sophomores,” MC pointed out, “You’re a really kind guy who knows what women want so it’s really not that hard to find someone worth your time.”

“I’m…” Yoosung looked MC in the eye, “I’m waiting for someone, actually. She’s not-, she’s not ready yet so I’m giving her the space and time she needs.”

“Ooh!” MC’s eyes lit up with excitement, “Who is she? Is she pretty? From what department? I want to meet her!”

Yoosung chuckled lightly, “You’ll meet her when she’s ready. For now, I’m going to make sure that my fingers are prepared to beat you at LOLOL tonight.”

“Shut up! We have to study for finals tonight,” MC stated

“Ugh. School is always in the way of gaming,” Yoosung grumbled

“We need this, dummy,” MC replied, “You want to be a doctor soon, right?”

“A vet,” Yoosung corrected

“Then you better start studying well if you want to cure those poor little puppies,” MC responded

“Fine, fine,” Yoosung agreed, “But you owe me one quest. There’s this time limited quest I’ve been dying to play but it needs party members.”

“What about the guild?” MC asked

“They’re fine, but the boss’ level is through the roof,” Yoosung answered

“Deal. After finals, we’re going to finish that quest!”

•••

MC woke up with the sound of her phone going off. She lazily swiped her phone to the left, snoozing the alarm. The sound stopped and she could already feel the contentment of the next five minutes when a voice spoke from her phone. She grabbed her phone and saw that she had just accepted a call.

From Minjun.

_“Hi, MC.”_

“Minjun. It’s still pretty early to call, don’t you think?” MC asked, seeing as it was just seven in the morning and not her intended wake up time which was eight

_“Um… I wanted to talk.”_

“About?”

_“About us.”_

MC’s heart was starting to race. Minjun wanted to talk about _them_. The them that had broken up about four months ago. The them that was so unclear that she wasn’t sure if the break up was real or not.

“What about us then?”

_“I… I was wrong.”_

_“I was wrong about everything. I shouldn’t have tried to change you. I shouldn’t have broken up with you.”_

_“I am so so sorry.”_

MC listened to the voice that was so light to her now. She was crying but she was so happy because she had been waiting for this.

_I knew it! Minjun is the one!_

“I’m sorry too, Minjun,” MC responded, “I’m… I’m so happy right now.”

_“Now that you said that, I feel so relieved.”_

“I… does this mean that,”

_“Yes if you still want.”_

“Then,” MC started, grinning wide, “Yes. Let’s start all over again. We can do this, I faith in us.”

_“The feeling is mutual.”_

MC smiled wide. She was finally reconciling with Minjun. This was a huge relief. She couldn’t wait to tell Yoosung all about it.

“I… I love you, Minjun.”

_“Love you too. I have to go but, I’ll find a way for us to see each other, okay?”_

“Okay,” MC responded, “I’ll be waiting.”

She jumped out of her bed and to the bathroom, quick to text Yoosung all about what just happened. Her best friend in the whole wide world had the right to know. She took a quick shower and changed to her attire for the day.

_This is going to be a very happy day._

MC grabbed her bag and the homework she left on the table the night before and stuffed it in. She opened the door of her apartment and saw Yoosung standing there, staring at his phone.

“Yoosung,” that seemed to snap him out of his stupor, “what are you doing here?”

He looked up at her, his face faking a small smile which was so heavy for him.

“O-Oh, I, uh,” he stuttered, not quite knowing how to start

He took a glance at the small bouquet in his hand and immediately regretted his decision.

“I have to go,” he responded without so much as meeting her in the eye

“Wait!” MC called, following after him, “Who are the flowers for?”

Yoosung’s shoulders slumped. He felt his already broken heart break even more with her noticing the small gift. Should he lie? Probably yes. It would be the safest way out but he wasn’t exactly the best liar in town.

“They’re not for me, are they?” MC asked

“They are,” Yoosung whispered, “But I got your text so…”

MC frowned at that. Yoosung actually liked her? Since when? She hadn’t even noticed at all. She had met him roughly four months ago so when in those months was the time when he liked her? No, wait, scratch that. Knowing Yoosung, he would never date anyone he _liked_.

He would date someone he loved. And that was apparently her.

Yoosung turned back to MC and gave her a small smile, “C-Congratulations on getting back together with Minjun. He’s a great guy and you deserve great guys.”

MC stood there, frozen with shock. It never occured to her that Yoosung liked her and it never _seemed_ that way. Yoosung was like the guy best friend she needed in her life. He was the gaming buddy who was her party member whenever she was short of one. He was her advisor on many things. Yoosung was her supporter, a player on the side lines. She never thought that he’d see his player two in her.

And she thought that _Yoosung_ was the dense one.

“I’m gonna go now,” Yoosung stated, “See you around.”

•••

_Yoosung☆ has entered the chatroom_

**707:** There he is!

 **707:** Yoosung, MC’s been calling me nonstop

 **ZEN:** What did you do? I just received a hundred messages from her asking where you are

 **Yoosung☆:** can we just not talk about it?

 **Yoosung☆:** i dont want to talk about it

 **707:** What’s wrong?

 **Yoosung☆:** she

 **Yoosung☆:** nevermind i really dont want to talk about it

_Jumin Han has entered the chatroom_

**Jumin Han:** meow

 **Jumin Han:** Oh, wait. Bad timing.

 **Jumin Han:** You were rejected weren’t you, Yoosung?

 **ZEN:** We were avoiding that!

 **ZEN:** God. Why don’t you care about what Yoosung might feel?

 **Jumin Han:** It’s quite obvious. I don’t know why you wouldn’t just say it.

 **Yoosung☆:** im… not actually rejected

 **ZEN:** See, you made yourself look stupid

 **707:** So what’s up with you and MC?

 **Yoosung☆:** she and minjun got back together

 **ZEN:** What? It’s been months, right?

 **Yoosung☆:** she texted me earlier that they got back together

 **Yoosung☆:** exactly when i was going to confess

 **Yoosung☆:** i didnt get out of her apartment fast enough

 **Yoosung☆:** so she saw me with flowers and i didnt lie. i told them it was for her

 **707:** What did she say?

 **Yoosung☆:** she didnt say anything

 **707:** You know what

 **707:** I have a big box of Honey Buddha Chips with your name on it

 **Yoosung☆** thanks but no thanks

 **Yoosung☆:** i dont feel like it

 **Yoosung☆:** i have to go to school now

 **Jumin Han:** You can have a mental break day.

 **ZEN:** _Now_ you care about feelings

 **Yoosung☆:** it’s fine. i’m fine

 **Yoosung☆:** see you guys later

 **Yoosung☆:** maybe

_Yoosung☆ has left the chatroom_

**ZEN:** MC just called again

 **Jumin Han:** Luciel, how did MC get my personal number?

 **707:** We seriously have to help Yoosung

 **707:** I haven’t seen him like this. Ever.

 **ZEN:** I’m worried about him

 **707:** I’ll head over to his apartment later

 **ZEN:** I’m cancelling practice for afternoon so I’m coming with you

_Jaehee Kang has entered the chatroom_

**707:** Jaehee!

 **707:** Wanna join us?

 **Jaehee Kang:** What is it?

 **707:** Operation: Cheering up Yoosung

 **Jaehee Kang:** Give me a moment

 **Jumin Han:** Is this absolutely necessary though?

 **Jumin Han:** Shouldn’t he be allowed his own alone time?

 **ZEN:** If you’ve ever experienced heartbreak, you’re free to talk us out of it

 **Jaehee Kang:** I see.

 **Jaehee Kang:** I will have to see if my schedule allows me to it.

 **ZEN:** Shoot us a text if you are. We’ll come pick you up at C &R

 **Jaehee Kang:** You’re coming?

 **ZEN:** Yeah

 **707:** I’ll pick up everyone who is available at 4 sharp

 **ZEN:** …

 **ZEN:** You’re not driving

 **707:** Why not?

 **ZEN:** I’m driving

 **707:** **Ure not touching my baby!**

 **ZEN:** Fine.

•••

_“Sorry, MC. I haven’t talked to him since yesterday.”_

“That’s okay, Seven. Thanks for answering.” MC sighed solemnly

_“What do you mean?”_

“Nobody’s been responding to my calls and texts,” MC explained, “So I was thinking that Yoosung told you guys what happened earlier and you were all avoiding me for it.”

_“What? What gave you that idea?”_

_“And what do you mean by ‘what happened earlier’?”_

“I, um, I actually got back with Minjun earlier,” MC started

_“Really?”_

“Yeah and I texted Yoosung about it but when I was leaving for school, Yoosung was at my door and he was holding flowers,” MC continued

_“Did he tell you who he was going to give it to?”_

“He… did.” MC bit her lip, “He was going to give it to me.”

_“Oh.”_

“You already knew these, didn’t you?” MC questioned

_“Whaaaat? MC why are you being suspicious of me?”_

“You really did! So Yoosung told you guys what happened?” MC asked

_“Yes he did. We’re not mad at you though, promise. We weren’t replying because we knew that you’d ask where Yoosung is and we want to give him some time for himself.”_

“I understand that you wanted to protect Yoosung but I do too so could you just please tell me where he is?” MC asked, “I skipped all my classes today just to go looking for him. I went to his apartment, to the arcade, to the mall, anywhere he might be.”

_“You thought that he’d skip classes too?”_

“Yeah. It’s very typical of Yoosung to skip classes when he’s upset,” MC explained

_“I’m sorry but you’re wrong. He attended all his classes.”_

“What?”

_“You heard me right, MC. I thought that too but he went to university and studied like a normal kid.”_

“Thanks for telling me, Seven. I owe you one.” MC beamed

_“Don’t mention it! No, seriously, don’t mention it. Yoosung will kill me if he knows that it’s me who told you.”_

“So why would you tell me?” MC asked

_“Because I may not be the best best friend in the world but I know what would make Yoosung happy. And right now, you’re the one that’s making him happy the most.”_

_“He’ll talk to you eventually. It’ll be unlike him to give anyone the cold shoulder for more than a week.”_

“I have a question,” MC stated, “Why me? I mean, what does he see in me that… that he likes me?”

_“I’m afraid even the best hackers in the world can’t answer that question. Nobody can hack through a heart so I really can’t answer that.”_

“Well thanks anyways,” MC replied

_“Not to be unsupportive or anything but once something gets broken, it can’t ever go back to the way it used to be.”_

“You sound like you speak from experience,” MC commented

_“Maybe I am. Maybe I’m trying to fix things that aren’t fixable. Maybe I’m not. Who knows?”_

MC rolled her eyes, “Very funny, Seven.”

_“I am. Well, I have to go, MC. Gotta go work.”_

“Thanks for all the help.” MC smiled weakly

_“No problemo.”_

MC sighed. If Yoosung had told them all about it and was giving her the cold shoulder then he was _clearly_ upset by the way things went.

_Of all people, why me?_

She couldn’t help but questiom Yoosung’s ability on choosing who to like. Why her of all people? She was just bland, plain, and geeky there were so many women out there who was better than her. She knew that there were girls on campus who liked Yoosung. They looked at him with delight in their eyes, something he couldn’t understand or even notice to begin with.

But the more she thought about the looks that the girls gave to him, the more she noticed how Yoosung had been giving her the same look for the past few months. It had only been months so how could he already be so in love with her that he was getting upset even if he hadn’t been formally rejected yet?

_I messed up. I messed up so badly._

•••

“Yoosung! Open up! We know you’re in there!” Seven yelled at the apartment’s front door

The blond opened it up, brows furrowed as he looked at Seven and Zen who were seemingly intruding his silence and peace.

“Uh, hi…?” Yoosung greeted

“Yeah, hi,” Seven responded then pushed Yoosung to go back inside, the two visitors following, “So what gives? Why weren’t you letting us in?”

“Didn’t hear you. Sorry,” Yoosung answered

“Okay then,” Seven stated, “Where’d you hide Yoosung? I wanted to talk to him.”

Yoosung raised a brow then sighed, “Seven, this isn’t really the greatest time.”

“We know,” Zen responded, “But we’re going to talk about it. Like real men.”

“Hah, yeah,” Seven agreed, “And besides, I’m really concerned about you. All kidding aside, I was scared that you’d go back to moping around and locking yourself up.”

Yoosung plopped down on the couch as Seven and Zen placed the boxes of pizza and cans of soda on the table in front of the blond.

“Jaehee made me promise to not let you drink,” Zen stated, “Although I know that beer is really what you need right now.”

“I was willing to drive Zen home,” Seven commented, “But maybe she was concerned because you two will be too hungover.”

“I didn’t want MC to be the reason so I’d drink,” Yoosung replied

“Well then we’ll get drunk in movies, pizza, and soda,” Zen said

Yoosung sighed, “I’m fine, really. Why do we have to do this again?”

“Because I don’t like it that you’re avoiding MC,” Seven answered

“She has Minjun again. She’s going to be fine.” Yoosung crossed her arms

“And who gave you the right to get jealous? She wasn’t yours yet,” Seven retorted

“Whoa! Okay, okay, we’ll stop there,” Zen interrupted but the intense glares Yoosung and Seven sent to each other were still there

“Wh-. Why are you here anyway?” Yoosung spat, “I was going to make her mine! You knew that! But I was waiting for the right time!”

“I guess you took too long,” Seven replied cooly

Yoosung stood from his chair and grabbed Seven’s shirt’s collar, “Seven, you _know_ that I love her and I wanted to give her space.”

Zen stood and pulled Yoosung away from the hacker.

“You knew every little detail about how I felt about her and now, now you sound like you’re teaming up with Minjun!” Yoosung shouted and wriggled in Zen’s grasp

“Yoosung, stop. Control yourself,” Zen told the younger one

Meanwhile, Seven stood there watching as his friend wanted to assault him. Tears were forming at the corners of Yoosung’s eyes as he tried to get out of the hold Zen had.

“You shut up! You knew everything, Seven! Everything! I love MC so much, remember? I told you that! Don’t say those things!” Yoosung shouted

“ _I_ did but why does that even matter? She didn’t know. She _never_ knew, Yoosung. Her knowing is what counts, not my knowledge about it,” Seven replied

“She still loves Minjun, okay? That’s why I can’t tell her! Let go! Let me go!” Yoosung shouted

Zen let go of his friend and the blond dropped to the ground, crying his heart out.

“I wanted to give her everything I have,” he spoke, “Ev-everything. And all I wanted back was to love me. I was willing to give her the world.”

“Well why didn’t you?” Seven asked

“Stop it, Seven,” Zen hissed

“Be-Because, because she still loves someone else,” Yoosung answered, “I didn’t want to lose her as a friend too. I was so scared of making a move that I didn’t realize it. I didn’t realize that I was wasting time.”

“You were, weren’t you?” Seven asked

Zen sighed at that, “Yoosung, don’t listen to what he says.”

“If given the chance to repeat everything, to reset, what would you have done differently?” Seven asked, completely ignoring Zen

Zen groaned, “Come on.”

“I wouldn’t,” Yoosung replied, “I wouldn’t change anything because at least, at least now, I had her as a friend and-, and I got to take care of her while Minjun wasn’t around.”

Seven put his hands in his hoodie pockets, “You mean to say that you’re happy that they’re together?”

“N-no. I mean, yes. I’m-, I don’t know,” Yoosung answered, “I’m happy that she’s happy and-, and,”

“Even if it hurts you? You’re willing to let her have her happiness?” Seven questioned

“Yes. God, yes. I just want her to be happy,” Yoosung responded then cried out loud

“But… you’re in pain,”

“Who cares? As long as she’s happy, I-,” Yoosung choked on a sob then let out another yell

Seven sighed then sat down on the floor next to Yoosung, “Come here.” He pulled Yoosung in for a tight embrace and patted his back, “I didn’t mean what I said, okay? I take it all back.”

Yoosung gripped onto Seven’s jacket tightly as he cried on his friend’s shoulder.

“I don’t know what to do,” Yoosung whispered

Seven shrugged and comforted his friend with another set of pats on the back.

_Well, I do._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Such angst. Much tears. Wow this is gonna be such a HUGE pain to post on ff.


	4. Waiting for Player Two - 04

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter: Aw poor Yoosung
> 
> This chapter: Aw poor MC

_“Hey-o, MC.”_

“Seven! Um, what are you, why are you calling me?” MC asked

“Babe! Who’s that?” The voice of a guy called from the kitchen of MC’s apartment

“It’s my friend, babe,” MC replied

_“Oh, Minjun’s there?”_

“Y-yeah now’s really not the-,”

_“Okay. Minjun’s there.”_

MC raised a brow, “Uh… Seven? You okay?”

_“Why wouldn’t I be? Anyways, did you see Yoosung?”_

“N-No I didn’t. Minjun found me at the university and we’re spending the night together,” MC answered

_“…do you not want to see Yoosung?”_

“It’s not like that, Seven,” MC replied, “I really want to see how he’s doing but I haven’t seen Minjun in so long.”

_“I understand, honestly. You’re in love, it’s normal.”_

“Are you accusing me of forgetting about my friend?” MC questioned, tone raising a bit

_“Not at all, TBH.”_

MC sighed, “Why in the world are you text speaking?”

_“IDK. You tell me.”_

MC sighed again, “Okay, why are you calling me? There must be a reason, Seven.”

_“I want to talk.”_

“Why?”

_“I just want to talk. Is it that hard to talk to me?”_

MC frowned, “We’ll talk but not right now, okay? I’ll call you when I’m available to talk to.”

_“Olay, MC.”_

“…did you just say ‘olay’?” MC raised a brow

_“I just wanted to make the readers think that the writer misspelled. 707 out!”_

MC closed her phone then placed it on the computer table. She felt a soft pair of lips pressed against her cheek then arms crawling around her waist.

“I really missed you, babe,” Minjun whispered

MC smiled slightly, “I missed you too but… but I want to talk.”

Minjun nodded then sat down on the bed. MC followed soon after then laid her head on his shoulder.

“Why now? I mean, it’s been months,” MC started

“I guess I just needed some time to think of it,” Minjun answered, “You still waited for me.”

MC sighed, “Well I… I,”

“What is it, MC?” Minjun asked

MC shook her head no, “Nothing. Nothing, I just-,”

Minjun grabbed MC’s chin, pulled it close to his face, and whispered, “You still love me, right?”

“Yes,” MC whispered back, staring at his eyes

•••

The lights were already off, Yoosung in bed, Zen dozing on the couch and Seven… typing away on his laptop in his own little space on the floor. He’d been working non-stop since he had gotten Yoosung to stop crying and to bed. The younger one was so worried and scared of losing MC that Seven knew that he had to do _something_ for him.

This was the very first time he’d seen Yoosung love someone so much and he’d known Yoosung since they were still both in high school.

So he sat there on the floor, calmly typing on his laptop’s keyboard. He wasn’t doing any work-related hacking but more personal hacking. He knew that it was wrong, very wrong, and that if he was ever caught, he’d get in trouble for breech of privacy but who cares? He could always change his identity and leave the country. He’d never get caught.

Unfortunately, MC only had one CCTV camera in the whole apartment so even if he wanted to spy on her, just because Minjun was there, it was a pain to do so. It was hidden behind a tall bookcase too so the camera’s view was hidden just a bit at the south. But despite that, he’d successfuly hacked in and was seeing what was happening inside MC’s bedroom.

He often questioned why MC would have a CCTV camera in her bedroom, of all places, but guessed that it was for security purposes.

For now, he watched as MC and Minjun sat down beside each other, not quite hearing what they were talking about. Minjun pulled up MC’s face close to his then closed the gap between them. Minjun leaned in closer while MC pulled back and pushed the other back a bit.

Seven sighed, “Seriously, Minjun? You just got back with her.”

Seven pulled the volume up so he would hear what MC was talking about. She seemed to be avoiding his gaze while his lingered on her.

Minjun made another advance at her which made MC stand up and push him back a bit roughly.

“Okay, play time’s over,” Seven declared then pressed the enter button

•••

As soon as Minjun’s lips pressed against hers, she could already feel the familiar feeling of having him there. All of those times he was supportive of her; all of those times he was there when she wanted to have fun; all of those times when he knew just how to pick her up to make her happy; all of those times when he’d give her the sweetest smile which would make her whole week.

_Wait._

_Wait he never did that._

And suddenly, the image of a smiling blond popped up in her head which caused her to push him away.

“Minjun, n-not right now,” MC spoke

“I thought you love me,” Minjun pointed out

“Y-Yeah but,”

“Then you’d let me,” he cut her off then pressed another kiss on her lips

MC grew frustrated then pushed him away, standing up from the bed. Just as soon as she stood up, the sprinklers in the room went off, soaking almost everything. MC looked up and ran to the sockets, putting on the covers for it and for her gadgets as well.

•••

Seven chuckled, “Sorry, MC. But it’s for your own good.”

He grabbed his phone and dialed a familiar number, “And now for phase two.”

•••

MC and Minjun stood outside of the apartment after MC turned the sprinklers off. She had no idea as to why they had gone off in the first place but at least she knew that they worked.

“You should probably go home,” MC told Minjun, “Your parents must be worried.”

“They’re fine. We can get a hotel room for the night, if you want,” Minjun offered

MC shook her head, “I think there are enough incidents tonight. I’ll probably stay in the living room.”

“Come on, babe, we just got together,” Minjun responded

“Minjun, please,” MC stepped back, “I’m… what happened to waiting until after marriage?”

Minjun sighed exasperatedly, “Do you want this to work or not?”

MC glared at Minjun, “Go home.”

“I said, do you want this to work or not?” Minjun repeated

“And _I_ said go home,” MC responded through gritted teeth, “It’s either you go away or I will.”

Minjun let out a heavy breath, “Fine. I’ll see you in the morning.”

He turned around and walked to the direction of his car, driving off.

MC stomped her foot once in frustration then heard her phone ring. She accepted the call, surprised that it was from Jaehee, of all people.

_“Good evening, MC.”_

“Hi Jaehee, what’s up?” MC asked, mood slightly lightening up

_“I just wanted to ask if you’re free tonight.”_

“Me? Oh, I, uh, I actually am,” MC responded

_“Can you come over? We can have a sleepover… or something.”_

_Wait._

_Jaehee and sleepover?_

“Um, okay…?” MC responded, “Nice timing though, my apartment just got washed.”

_“What do you mean?”_

“The sprinklers went off and I didn’t even know why,” MC replied, “I’m heading over to your house now, okay?”

_“Okay, MC. Do you still remember where it is?”_

“Mhm.” MC nodded, remembering the place as if it was a second home even though she had only been there once

_“I’ll see you soon then.”_

•••

_707 has entered the chatroom_

_Jaehee Kang has entered the chatroom_

**707:** Jaehee!

 **707:** Perfect!

 **707:** How’s our favorite assistant doing?

 **Jaehee Kang:** …

 **Jaehee Kang:** What do you need?

 **707:** A place to stay

 **Jaehee Kang:** **No.**

 **707:** lololol not me

 **707:** MC needs a place to stay tonight

 **Jaehee Kang:** ?

 **707:** I totally did not hose down her house

 **Jaehee Kang:** What did you do?

 **707:** Something good

 **707:** The Defender of Justice never rests so

 **Jaehee Kang:** Fine.

 **707:** Great! Why are you so perfect Jaehee?

 **707:** I can’t believe that I have just spoken with an angel

 **707:** Without wings of course

 **Jaehee Kang:** …so you mean like a human

 **707:** angel

 **Jaehee Kang:** I’m going to call MC now

_Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom_

•••

MC arrived over at Jaehee’s house in just a few minutes later. Jaehee had prepared a foldable bed and two cups of coffee for MC and her.

“Hi, MC,” Jaehee greeted as she opened the door for her visitor

“Hi. Not to be rude but why did you suddenly call me?” MC asked

“I wanted to talk,” Jaehee responded

If Luciel had forced her to spend a night with MC then she might as well use it for her other friend’s sake.

“Is… is this about Yoosung?” MC questioned

“Oh, MC, we have a _lot_ to talk about,” Jaehee replied then closed the door after letting her in

MC settled on the couch and Jaehee offered the coffee to the younger one. MC muttered a ‘thanks’ as she grabbed the cup, warming her hands using it.

“How’d you react? When you knew that Yoosung liked you, that is,” Jaehee started

MC frowned, “I-. Honestly, Yoosung’s not a bad person. He’s, he’s kind and caring and-,”

MC looked over to the older woman, “I’m not answering your question, aren’t I?”

Jaehee shook her head.

MC sighed, “Promise you wouldn’t tell him? That this will be a girl to girl talk?”

Jaehee looked up at the wall where a CCTV camera was placed. Luciel had suggested years ago that they should put at least one in each area of the house, minus the bedroom and bathroom, for ‘security purposes of the RFA’ so she just said yes to get it over with. MC followed Jaehee’s glare and saw the camera.

“This is going to be a personal talk, Luciel. You better not be watching us right now,” Jaehee warned

Her phone beeped and she read the message coming from the hacker.

**From: Choi Luciel**

_Alright, geez. I’ll give you your time._

**From: Choi Luciel**

_also did u really not trust me that id give u privacy?_

Jaehee sighed in relief then turned back to MC, “Sorry for that. Yes, this will stay between us.”

MC looked a bit uncertain but she wanted to trust the older woman so she did, “I… I tried to reach out to him. I tried calling his phone but he switched it off. And, and then I called you and Zen and Jumin and Seven. Nobody was answering.”

Jaehee nodded as if to say ‘go on’.

“And I wish, I wish it didn’t turn out to be like that, you know?” MC continued

“You wish that Yoosung didn’t try?” Jaehee asked

“N-No, not like that. I wish, I wish there was another, more perfect time for it. Yoosung is really nice, I know that I said this but, it’s true. He deserves so much happiness in his life. I…”

“If Minjun didn’t call this morning,” Jaehee started, “Would things go differently? Would you have accepted Yoosung?”

MC opened her mouth to speak but no words came out.

“Just like I thought. MC, I know that this is really hard to process right now,” Jaehee stated, “You’re young, you three are so we understand that you all need some time but I have some questions for you. How do you see Minjun?”

“Minjun’s crazy rich and influential and he cares for me,” MC answered, “He has a future set up already so I know that, whatever happens, he’ll live a stable life. He knows what he wants and has a dream that will get him far.”

“How about Yoosung?”

“Yoosung is… he’s happy-go-lucky. He doesn’t know why he’s going to college and he doesn’t know what to do with his life but despite that, he’s happy.” MC responded

“Then who are _you_ , MC?” Jaehee asked

“I’m me. Just simple old me who’s trying her best to make a place for herself. Simple old me who’ll go with the flow, where ever fate leads me, then there’s that,” MC replied

“Then you can decide,” Jaehee said, “Where do you go? To the path of comfort living where someone will be there to stand by you, guiding you into the world or to the path where you two are blindly making a way somewhere you’re not familiar with?”

“J-, where did you even get the idea that I like Yoosung?” MC chuckled nervously, avoiding the question

Jaehee smiled weakly, “I never said that. MC, it’s obvious. At the moment when I met you, I thought to myself, ‘oh, Yoosung finally found his other half’. I’m… not the kind of woman who intrudes in the love lives of the RFA guys but MC, don’t just look with your heart. Look with your eyes.”

MC hugged her knees to her chest, looked down, and whispered, “I-If I did, I feel like I’m cheating on Minjun.”

“I’m so confused, I know that I love Minjun, I know it b-but,” MC paused for a bit, “I also feel something for Yoosung.”

“Then there’s only a decision to make. What are you gonna do about it? You have three routes, MC,” Jaehee spoke, “You go with Minjun, you go with Yoosung, or none at all.”

MC looked up at the older woman, “Jaehee, if you were in my place, what would you do?”

“I’m going to try to not be biased here,” Jaehee stated, “If I am you, and I think practically, I’d go with Minjun but if I wanted to have fun, I’d go with Yoosung, but then again if I wanted to keep being friends with both of them, I won’t choose anyone. I’m… I don’t want to give a personal opinion because it might affect you.”

MC tilted her head to the right and watched as Jaehee sipped from her cup of coffee, “I have a lot of thinking to do, don’t I?”

“Who said you had to do it overnight?” Jaehee asked, “If you don’t want to deal with it now, then don’t. Nobody’s forcing you to make a decision now, take your time, MC.”

“Will it be okay if I take, say, a year?” MC asked

“MC, I think that’s a bit _too much_ time,” Jaehee pointed out

MC cracked a small grin, “Just kidding.”

Jaehee nodded.

“This is really sweet of you, Jaehee. It’s nice that I get to spend some time with you,” MC stated, “Actually, it was the most perfect timing that I was thinking whether or not this is intended or a coincidence.”

Jaehee sighed, placing her cup down, “I really wish that Luciel’s not listening to us right now.”

“Knew it,” MC announced

“Luciel turned your sprinklers on because you ‘looked like you wanted to just talk’,” Jaehee responded, quoting Seven on his words during their call just a few minutes before MC arrived, “He’s looking out for you, MC and Luciel can be genuinely caring if he considers something or someone precious.”

“I’m touched.” MC smiled

“No, not you. Luciel considers Yoosung as his little brother and he cares so much for him. He did that, and this, so you’d be under the RFA’s wings for the meantime,” Jaehee explained, “Luciel’s and Zen are actually over at Yoosung’s right now and I heard that things didn’t go so well.”

MC furrowed her brows, “Does Yoosung always talk about me?”

“There were days when I wish he’d shut up because _yes_ , Yoosung, we know that MC’s pretty, kind, and the greatest gamer in the universe,” Jaehee answered, “Honestly the chatroom that was supposed to be for RFA parties was filled with you whenever he was around.”

MC smiled weakly, “That feels nice. Minjun never boasted me to his friends.”

Jaehee stopped, “Excuse me, what? Broke up with you through phone _and_ didn’t boast you? How did you put up with him?”

“He was charming and sweet in his own way,” MC defended, “And he told me that _he_ did was wrong. He accepted the fault.”

MC breathed heavily then leaned her head on the backrest of the couch, “Guys are exhausting!”

Jaehee cracked a grin, “You tell me, I work for one and I put up with three others on an almost daily basis.”

“How do you do it?” MC asked, awe in her eyes

“It’s called the art of not caring,” Jaehee responded which elicited a giggle from MC, “Well, not actually not caring. Just looking like you don’t care enough to be their mother but enough as a friend.”

MC laughed again, “I idolize you for doing that with a straight face.”

Jaehee just shrugged at it, “You know, if Rika was still here, it wouldn’t probably be like this.”

“Rika?”

“Yoosung’s cousin. He looked up to her and she always knew the right words to say. She’d probably give you advices too,” Jaehee responded

“Sounds like Rika’s a really nice person,” MC commented

Jaehee nodded, “She is. You two would get along well. Too bad she left this world.”

“Oh that’s sad.” MC frowned, “Wait, I remember that there’s a blonde woman who spoke at the RFA party.”

“That’s her,” Jaehee replied, “She was everything a man wanted and was everything a woman wanted to be. Everyone were devastated when she died, especially Yoosung. It’s-, it might seem like it’s not true but even until now, Yoosung’s affected by her death but you came in to his life and he was happier.”

MC closed her eyes, not wanting to think about anything. She wanted to decide but this would be one big decision to make.

“I… I think I need some more time but,” MC met Jaehee’s eyes, “I sorta have someone I’m in favor of.”

•••

_Knock knock knock_

Minjun opened the door and saw a brightly smiling young man standing on the doorway of his apartment.

The man offered his right hand, “Good morning. I’m Choi Luciel from the RFA and I was hoping to get an evaluation from the last party.” He showed a letter which was all about the evaluation and was signed by a Kim Jihyun.

Minjun nodded then let the other man in. Luciel looked around the living room of the apartment.

 _Very cozy._ He mentally noted, _Very fitting for someone like Minjun._

“Who’s at the door, Honey?”

Luciel’s eyebrows shot up then turned to the source of the sound which was the kitchen. A brunette woman walked out from the kitchen to the living room, wiping her hands on her apron.

“Oh, we have a visitor!” She exclaimed

“Yeah, he’s from the RFA doing a, uh, what was it?” Minjun asked

“A-an evaluation.” He cleared his throat, “And you must be,” he paused then brought out a pad of paper from his jacket’s pocket, “MC?”

“Oh, no, I’m Shijee,” The woman introduced herself

“Okay, Shijee,” Luciel repeated

Shijee offered for him to sit down as she offered to grab him a cup of coffee.

“Oh, no need, this will be quick,” Luciel stopped her, “So, Minjun, on a scale of one to ten, one being the lowest and ten being the highest, how would you rate the catering from the last party?”

“I’d say it’s eight,” Minjun replied then Luciel wrote it down

“Music?”

“Nine.”

“The location?”

“Eight.”

“The other party guests?”

“Seven.”

“Yes?”

“What?” Minjun raised a brow

“Wait, no, I’m really sorry about that,” Luciel responded, “Last question. How is it overall? Like, would you come to the party again if ever there was another one?”

“Absolutely yes,” Minjun replied, nodding, “My family loved the party.”

“I want to go there too!” Shijee grinned at Minjun

“I’ll see that you have invitation for the next one then,” Luciel responded, “May I take a photo for documentation purposes?”

Minjun nodded and Luciel took a quick shot of the two using his phone. He stood up and shook hands with Minjun again.

“I’ll be on my way. Thank you for accomodating me,” Luciel stated

“Yeah, anytime,” Minjun replied

Luciel stepped out of the apartment then back to his car. He took a deep breath then pulled his phone out.

“Okay, Seven, think. What should I do?”


	5. Waiting for Player Two - 05

**ZEN:** You’re not serious about that cream thing competition are you?

 **Yoosung☆:** I am

 **Yoosung☆:** I mean, I devote so much of my time to LOLOL

 **Yoosung☆:** Might as well join

 **707:** what if I join?

**Yoosung☆: No.**

**Yoosung☆:** Give me the championships this year

 **707:** there are other player too u know

 **Yoosung☆:** I know but it’s all or nothing

 **ZEN:** I appreciate that you have a hobby

 **ZEN:** But this is an obssession

 **Yoosung☆:** Well what do I do with all my free time?

 **707:** Maybeeeeee

 **707:** make up with MC and be friends with her again?

_Yoosung☆ has left the chatroom_

**ZEN:** That was quick

 **707:** it’s been three weeks

 **707:** they can’t keep on avoiding each other

 **ZEN:** I know…

_Jaehee Kang has entered the chatroom_

**707:** Jaehee!

 **707:** Our favorite assistant!

 **Jaehee Kang:** No.

 **707:** lololol I was kidding

 **707:** i didn’t actually have a favor

 **Jaehee Kang:** Yoosung just called me

 **ZEN:** What did he say?

 **Jaehee Kang:** “Jaehee, Seven and Zen are being mean.”

 **Jaehee Kang:** If you were trying to revert him back to a child,

 **Jaehee Kang:** Congratulations

 **Jaehee Kang:** I have to work. Don’t bother me.

_Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom_

**707:** I have to go

 **707:** I’m gonna do a background check on someone

 **707:** Can’t believe I’m only doing this now

 **ZEN:** Who is it?

 **707:** It’s

 **707:** a secret~

_707 has left the chatroom_

**From: Seven**

_It’s not actually a secret_

**From: Seven**

[Photo of Minjun and Shijee]

**From: Seven**

_Don’t tell anyone about this._

**From: Zen**

_When was this?_

**From: Seven**

_A day after MC and Minjun got back together_

**From: Seven**

_I was waiting for the right time but_

**From: Seven**

_Now isn’t the right time but Yoosung badly needs help_

•••

_“Hello. Seven?”_

Seven’s raised his brows, “MC? Wow you’re calling me and not the other way around.”

_“Yeah I needed advice.”_

“You’ve come to the right place!” Seven grinned, “Advisor Seven Oh Seven is in.”

_“I… Minjun asked me to go to another country to work after college.”_

“Oh,” Seven deflated, “Does Yoosung know about this?”

_“He doesn’t.”_

“He still has the right to know,” Seven pointed out

_“I know but I just-, can you tell him for me?”_

“No,” Seven flat out rejected her, “I want you two to make up and be friends so you can tell him.”

_“H-How? He’s not replying to my texts, he’s not answering my calls.”_

“If the new solutions don’t work, put it back to the way it used to be then start over,” Seven responded

_“…you mean talk to him in LOLOL?”_

“I don’t know. I was just quoting my first hacking book,” Seven replied

_“That’s actually helpful.”_

“Of course I’m helpful!” Seven declared, “Now I want you, Yoosung, and Minjun to all meet in one place at one time. I’ll go with all three of you if you don’t want to be awkward.”

_“That would be really nice, Seven. Thanks. I’ll update you about it.”_

“No, I’ll update _you_ about it,” Seven replied, “Did you really think I’d let you do the planning? No way. I’ll do it.”

_“That’s good, tha-.”_

“Oh, no you’re not gonna be the happiest about this.”

There was silence on the other line.

“Just kidding! I’ll set up the perfect picnic for you three,” Seven responded, “I’ll see you then, MC!”

•••

_MASTER CRIMINAL SENT YOU A PRIVATE MESSAGE_

_MASTER CRIMINAL SENT YOU A PRIVATE MESSAGE_

_MASTER CRIMINAL SENT YOU A PRIVATE MESSAGE_

_MASTER CRIMINAL SENT YOU A PRIVATE MESSAGE_

Yoosung huffed and continued on playing, not reading or opening the messages. He waa training for the tournament, can’t she just give him peace?

He tore his way through the thick crowd of enemies, preferring to play solo today. He could see her avatar following his then attacking his avatar repeatedly. He didn’t bother using his potions but he did attack back and defended himself every now and then.

The battle went on for some time until his HP ran out and he was given thirty minutes to respawn.

 _SHOOTING STAR_ : What do you want?

 _MASTER CRIMINAL_ : To talk.

 _MASTER CRIMINAL_ : I just need one more moment, please. Let’s talk.

 _SHOOTING STAR_ : Okay.

 _SHOOTING STAR_ : Where are we going to talk? And when?

 _MASTER CRIMINAL_ : I’ll text you on that

 _MASTER CRIMINAL_ : I’m so happy that you agreed

 _SHOOTING STAR_ : I’m happy that you asked me to talk

•••

Seven sat down on a park bench silently, busy with typing on his laptop. He wasn’t actually allowed to be outside as of that moment, his bosses were looking for him, but he said that he was doing something for another job. Of course he had an earful about that but his boss couldn’t possibly have people abduct him there where there were many people around. He was, technically, safe.

“Seven!”

He looked up at the sound of his name then saw his blond friend running up to him. His friend sat down without being invited and Seven removed the earphones off his ears.

“I’m supposed to meet MC today here but I’m also glad to see you,” he greeted

“Yeah, I know,” Seven replied, “I planned the meeting.”

“You what?” Yoosung raised a brow

“I… need to get something off my chest,” Seven responded, “It’s going to be a long way to fix this but I promise that it’ll all be worth it in the end.”

“What are you talking about?” Yoosung asked

“Just trust me on this, okay? I’ve spent weeks studying this so I have everything ready,” Seven answered, “You’re-, I think you’re gonna like it.”

“I don’t think I am,” Yoosung replied

“You are. Oh look there they are!” Seven exclaimed, pointing at the couple who were making their way towards that bench

Yoosung wanted to run away right then and there. It was… fine that MC was there. Sort of. But Minjun was also there and he was so awkward about that. He wanted the ground to eat him up. Eat him up right then and there.

“Hi, Yoosung,” MC shyly greeted, “Minjun, this is Yoosung, my friend, and this is Seven,” MC paused for a while, looking at the expectant look Seven was giving him, “Yoosung’s friend. He’s my friend too.”

Minjun stared at the red head, “I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before?”

“Yeah, I was the interviewer of the RFA,” Seven replied

“Oh, yeah,” Minjun replied, nodded, then blanched when it all clicked in his mind

This Seven guy was the interviewer. The interviewer who went to his house and saw Shijee.

“Something the matter, Minjun?” Seven raised his brow

“Nothing at all,” Minjun replied then gulped

“Are you okay, babe? You look pale,” MC told Minjun

“Nothing,” Minjun repeated, “I’m fine.”

Seven sighed, “MC was about to tell Yoosung something really important.”

“Oh, yeah, that,” MC spoke, “I… Yoosung, I’m going abroad.”

Yoosung frowned but forced up a smile, “Th-That’s a great opportunity for you, MC. I’m glad.”

MC gave back a smile, “I’m glad that you’re happy about it.”

Awkward silence broke through. MC and Yoosung were looking at anything else besides each other while Seven stared at Minjun who was patiently looking at the ground.

“Listen. I’m-, I’m sorry about what happened. I don’t want to leave a grudge or anything, okay? I want it to be okay between us,” MC stated

“It’s okay.” Yoosung nodded, “It’s definitely okay between us. Nothing’s wrong. _I’m_ sorry that I ignored you. You did nothing wrong.”

MC nodded at that then there was silence once more. Seven sighed at everything; at the secrecy and the things that both Yoosung and MC wanted to tell each other.

Seven stood up and offered MC the seat. She took it then he faced Minjun.

“There’s,” Seven started then sighed again, not knowing how to actually start with it all, “Minjun, I’m giving you the chance. I’m not going to say anything if you will.”

Minjun looked up at Seven then glared at him. He gritted his teeth then shoved Seven slightly, “Who gave you the right to do this to me?”

MC immediately stood up and pulled Minjun away while Yoosung pushed Seven behind him even if he knew that the hacker would not fight back.

“Nobody did,” Seven replied, “But this is my last warning. Both MC and Yoosung are my friends and I’m concerned about them. Just let her know, Minjun.”

MC furrowed her brows, “What are you talking about, Seven?”

Seven stared at Minjun, two pairs clashing with glares.

“I… Babe, my,” Minjun said, “my parents don’t want us to marry and-.”

“One more chance, Minjun.” Seven interrupted, “I’ll give you _one_ more chance to do it right.”

Minjun gulped, “You see, the, the, the, um, the university didn’t actually want me to-.”

Seven scoffed. _That’s enough._

“Minjun and Shijee are still together,” he interrupted, catching all three’s attention

They all stared at him wide eyed. MC opened her mouth then closed it again then opened and closed, not quite knowing how to respond to it. Minjin looked like he wanted to assault Seven right then and there while Yoosung just stared at Seven, not knowing if he would believe it or not.

“There, I said it for you. You didn’t look like you’d tell her,” Seven continued, “MC, Minjun and Shijee are _still_ together. Minjun, why are you still hiding it from her?”

“Seven, w-what are you talking about?” MC asked weakly

“Babe. Babe, please,” Minjun started, grabbing MC at her forearms, “Babe, you have to listen to me. What he’s saying isn’t true, okay?”

MC looked deep into Minjun’s eyes, looking for any sign that said that he was telling the truth, that he loved her and only her.

But she only saw guilt.

“Who are you going to trust, MC? The guy who broke your heart before or the guy who can find any information in just a few clicks?” Seven asked

“Stop it, Seven. She’s, she’s getting it, okay?” Yoosung said softly

“Minjun, I don’t know what to say,” MC said breathlessly

“Don’t tell me you actually believe him,” Minjun responded

“Minjun, I trust Seven wholeheartedly. It’s only been a few weeks but I do and I trust you too but,” MC paused, “but now I don’t. How can you do this to me?”

“Babe, _he’s_ lying. I’m not with Shij-.”

_Slap_

MC felt her right hand throb lightly at the impact but she didn’t mind that pain. She knew that _that_ pain caused so much more to who actually deserved it. It was so worth it.

“I can’t believe I cried over our breakup,” MC started, “And I can’t believe that I was happy that we got back together. I wish I never dated you in the first place. If I only knew this would happen, I never should’ve talked to you at all.”

“I don’t even know what you want now. You can have everything so why do you bother?” MC asked, “I feel so stupid that I didn’t see this coming.”

Seven took a step forward then pulled MC away from Minjun while she thrashed about, telling him to let go.

“You’re stressing yourself, MC,” Seven stated, “I don’t think you don’t deserve that.”

MC stared into his eyes then saw Yoosung move about behind Seven.

She looked over at the blond shyly, “I… I changed my mind. I’ll stay here but I’m not going to run to you just because this happened again. Not anymore.”

“MC what are you saying? I’m giving you a great future!” Minjun exclaimed

MC glared at Minjun and was about to speak when Seven beat her to it.

“I’m sorry but could you not talk to RFA’s princess in that tone?” Seven responded

“Let me talk to her!” Minjun pushed his way through

“I said no.” Seven glared at Minjun, “If you don’t want the whole world knowing that your parents raised a two-timer, you better leave.”

Minjun scoffed, smirking, “And how do you suppose you’d do that?”

Seven raised a brow, a mischievous side grin coming up on his face, “You’re really challenging me?”

“Seven, I really think that that’s enough,” Yoosung pointed out then walked over to Minjun, “What you did to MC, please don’t do that to Shijee too.”

Yoosung sighed, “You-. Not everyone’s going to clean up your mess. Not everyone’s going to pick up what you’ve thrown away and I can’t understand why you keep on doing this to people. MC is a great girl so I, I don’t understand any of this.

“I may never have had been in a relationship before but I know that you have to have only one person. If you wanted to give her a good future then we can too, in fact, MC can get herself a better future than what you can offer,” Yoosung explained, “So please, just don’t bother MC anymore. She’s had enough of you, alright? And don’t do this to anyone ever again.”

Yoosung sighed and shook his head, “I don’t want to fight you, okay? And neither does Seven.”

“I’m up for a good chase though,” Seven added in which received a light nudge from Yoosung

“We’ll get going now. Stop bothering MC. She’s done enough for you and you’ve hurt her enough. Are you satisfied?”

Minjun raised his fist then punched Yoosung’s left eye. The younger one fell down but was quickly helped by Seven and MC.

“If you won’t listen to them then listen to me!” MC yelled, now completely at full rage, “We’re _through_ , Minjun! We’re done, we’re over, I’m breaking up with you! And I won’t accept it otherwise.”

She turned back around then grabbed Seven’s laptop as he brought Yoosung to the car. They put him at the back seat, Seven rode at the driver’s and MC sat next to Yoosung, checking the bruise that was slowly forming.

“That was some punch,” Seven commented, “Really sorry I had to drop the news like that, MC.”

MC shook her head, “I’m glad you did, honestly. Slapping him in the face wasn’t enough for everything he did but it released some.”

“You’re not upset at us, are you?” Yoosung asked

“Why should I be? You guys saved me,” MC replied then turned to Seven, “Princess of the RFA? Seriously?”

Seven let out a short laugh, “What? It sounded really cool? It felt like we were knights who were in a quest to save the princess from a horrible dragon! But, you know, I may not be the knight in shining armor, but I can at least update him on what was happening. Just call me a wingman then.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Yoosung replied, “Now stop taking pictures of us and start driving.”

Seven chuckled, “You don’t want a remembrance of your first fist fight?”

“It wasn’t a fist fight, you know,” Yoosung replied

MC smiled slightly, “I have an idea.”

•••

_707 has entered the chatroom_

**707:** Look at our Yoosung!

 **707:** all grown up!

[Photo]

 **ZEN:** When was that?

 **Jaehee Kang:** Why does he have a black eye?

 **707:** about eleven days ago

_Yoosung☆ has entered the chatroom_

**Yoosung☆:** Hi everyone

 **Yoosung☆:** oh that picture…

 **Yoosung☆:** I look horrible

 **707:** lololol no u dont

 **707:** u look like a rebellious teenager, not knowing what to do with his life

 **707:** in short

 **707:** Zen as a teen

 **ZEN:** Hey!

 **ZEN:** I _did_ get into fist fights then

 **ZEN:** but I made sure I won

 **Yoosung☆:** pretty srue nibody wuns at s fist figt…

 **ZEN:** Please use proper English.

 **Yoosung☆:** sorry

 **Yoosung☆:** MC was asking me how to make an account

 **Jaehee Kang:** How is MC?

 **Yoosung☆:** We’re not dating why would you ask that?

 **707:** but u spend 25/8 with her

 **Yoosung☆:** She’s okay. She’s taking things pretty well

 **Yoosung☆:** There’s a mutual understanding between us

 **Yoosung☆:** But we’re not rushing ^^

 **Yoosung☆:** And we’re finishing sophomore year on time!

_Jumin Han has entered the chatroom_

**707:** Hi MC!

 **707:** thats a weird username though

 **Jumin Han:** ?

 **Jumin Han:** It’s me Jumin.

_MC has entered the chatroom_

**MC:** Cool! You can see who are logged on before you enter the chat!

 **707:** Hiiiiiii MC!

 **Jumin Han:** ?

 **Jumin Han:** You can?

 **Jaehee Kang:** Yes, Mr Han.

 **707:** It’s been there since the beginning

 **ZEN:** Such an old man

_Jumin Han has left the chatroom_

**MC:** Ooh this app is so cool!

 **MC:** And we have profiles too!

 **707:** u don’t have one yet

 **707:** but i’ll go do that soon

 **Yoosung☆:** you should see her face lololol

 **MC:** I’m really happy to finally join!

 **707:** oh ya

 **707:** contract

 **707:** The charity party organizing association, R.F.A (Rika’s Fundraising Association) (hereinafter referred to as “Association”) and MC (hereinafter referred to as “Member”) agree to the following terms when using the RFA messenger application (hereinafter referred to as “App”) provided by “Association”.

 **ZEN:** Wait

 **ZEN:** We have a contract?

 **707:** ya

 **707:** basically it has 5 provisions

 **707:** 1 - only use this app for the party planning

 **Yoosung☆:** we failed the first provision lololol

 **707:** 2 - the main location should be at Rika’s apartment

 **ZEN:** Rika’s apartment?

 **Jaehee Kang:** The location is currently unknown. How can we proceed with that?

 **707:** 3 - everything that happens here is strictly confidential

_Jumin Han has entered the chatroom_

**Jumin Han:** Oh you’re discussing the provisions.

 **ZEN:** You knew about this but didn’t tell us?

 **Jumin Han:** I read before I sign any contracts.

 **707:** 4 - we are all liable for whatever happens

 **707:** 5 - V’s decisions are final, the RFA acts for the public good, new members are only considered through referrals, we shall all be polite to each other, unrestricted love is recommended, no one goes to Rika’s apartment

 **707:** and the effectivity

 **707:** forever

 **707:** well…

 **707:** you don’t plan to quit, do you?

 **Yoosung☆:** …

 **Yoosung☆:** since _when_ did we have these?

 **Jumin Han:** Since the beginning.

 **ZEN:** What?

 **Jaehee Kang:** I never signed any contracts.

 **MC:** Are you trying to prank me or something?

 **707:** lololol the RFA is a serious matter

 **707:** and besides

 **707:** ure already here

 **707:** we don’t need your signature anyways

 **707:** welcome to the RFA, MC!

•••

“Wow I cannot believe that it’s my turn,” Seven spoke through the microphone, overlooking the people who were all dressed formally, “You know, before the wedding started earlier, Yoosung told me not to say anything humiliating so I won’t.”

The bride and groom pair sighed in relief as they heard their friend say that.

“As the best best man, I will present a file that is humiliating instead,” Seven continued

The newly weds’ breaths hitched.

“I present to you, Yoosung’s confession to MC! I never got to let you hear this, MC, I seriously thought I lost the file. Guess I found it at the perfect moment,” Seven added then cued to the person over at the DJ to play the file

 _“And who gave you the right to get jealous? She wasn’t yours yet,”_ The voice of an obviously slightly younger Seven spoke

“Oh no.” Yoosung groaned

_“Whoa! Okay, okay, we’ll stop there,”_

“Was that Zen, love?” MC asked, listening attentively

Yoosung nodded weakly, fighting off the blush on his face.

_“Wh-. Why are you here anyway? I was going to make her mine! You knew that! But I was waiting for the right time!”_

MC chuckled then scooted closer to Yoosung, “So cheesy.”

_“You knew every little detail about how I felt about her and now, now you sound like you’re teaming up with Minjun!”_

He wanted to disappear off the face of the earth. Basically everyone he and MC knew were there, listening to his tearful confession. He wanted to disappear. That or he’d kill Seven later.

_“You shut up! You knew everything, Seven! Everything! I love MC so much, remember? I told you that! Don’t say those things!”_

“You two are, like, the bestest best friends,” MC commented, snuggling with Yoosung’s left arm

Yoosung let out a nervous laugh, “I’m gonna kill him.”

_“I wanted to give her everything I have, ev-everything. And all I wanted back was to love me. I was willing to give her the world.”_

_“If given the chance to repeat everything, to reset, what would you have done differently?”_ Seven asked

_“I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t change anything because at least, at least now, I had her as a friend and-, and I got to take care of her while Minjun wasn’t around.”_

_“Even if it hurts you? You’re willing to let her have her happiness?”_ Seven questioned

 _“Yes. God, yes. I just want her to be happy,”_ Yoosung’s voice answered then cried out loud

MC couldn’t help but blush too. She never knew that Yoosung felt _this_ strongly towards her even before.

The audio was cut there. Everyone had mixed reactions. There were some who were touched, there were some who were chuckling lightly, and there were some who were snickering as if they knew it would happen (Read: The RFA).

“Get yourself a guy like that,” Seven commented, taking the stage once more, “Honestly, I wanted to get him drunk so he’d confess but Jaehee didn’t want them to so I settled to harsh words. Bet you didn’t know I was recording.”

Chuckles came from the crowd.

“But it doesn’t end there! We saw Yoosung’s side, what about MC? How did I know that they were the perfect couple? I _also_ have a recording,” Seven continued then the track started playing

 _“How’d you react? When you knew that Yoosung liked you, that is,”_ Jaehee’s voice started the clip

_“I-. Honestly, Yoosung’s not a bad person. He’s, he’s kind and caring and-. I’m not answering your question, aren’t I?”_

_“I… I tried to reach out to him. I tried calling his phone but he switched it off. And, and then I called you and Zen and Jumin and Seven. Nobody was answering. And I wish, I wish it didn’t turn out to be like that, you know?”_ MC replied

“You never told me about this,” Yoosung whispered over to MC

 _“You wish that Yoosung didn’t try?”_ Jaehee asked

_“N-No, not like that. I wish, I wish there was another, more perfect time for it. Yoosung is really nice, I know that I said this but, it’s true. He deserves so much happiness in his life. I…”_

_“Minjun’s crazy rich and influential and he cares for me,” MC answered, “He has a future set up already so I know that, whatever happens, he’ll live a stable life. He knows what he wants and has a dream that will get him far.”_

_“How about Yoosung?”_

_“Yoosung is… he’s happy-go-lucky. He doesn’t know why he’s going to college and he doesn’t know what to do with his life but despite that, he’s happy.”_ MC responded

_“Then you can decide. Where do you go? To the path of comfort living where someone will be there to stand by you, guiding you into the world or to the path where you two are blindly making a way somewhere you’re not familiar with?”_

“I’m really happy with the path that you took,” Yoosung commented, placing a kiss on MC’s forehead

“Me too.” MC smiled weakly

 _“J-, where did you even get the idea that I like Yoosung?”_ MC chuckled nervously

_“I never said that. MC, it’s obvious. At the moment when I met you, I thought to myself, ‘oh, Yoosung finally found his other half’. I’m… not the kind of woman who intrudes in the love lives of the RFA guys but MC, don’t just look with your heart. Look with your eyes.”_

Yoosung chuckled, “Seriously, Jaehee?”

“What can I say? We’re fate,” MC replied

_“I’m so confused, I know that I love Minjun, I know it b-but, I also feel something for Yoosung.”_

“Aw, love, you had a crush on me!” Yoosung grinned

“We literally got married earlier,” MC replied

“That was recorded via phone call, _not_ the CCTV,” Seven spoke, “Seriously though, I wish I’d find someone that loves me as much as MC loves Yoosung.” Seven shrugged, “Maybe in another universe, I guess. Or maybe in the next chapter…?”

“What is he talking about now?” MC furrowed her brows

Yoosung shrugged.

“I’m really happy for the two of you, okay? Kinda unfair that the youngest two of the RFA got married first, and at 23 too, but I guess, we’ll all have our turn,” Seven said then raised his glass of champagne, “I don’t drink but, a toast! To the newly weds!”

“To the newly weds!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _707 has entered the chatroom_
> 
> **707:** Hey there, MC!
> 
>  **707:** seems like you've finished Yoosung's first route
> 
>  **707:** my first route goes next!
> 
>  **707:** and it'll be up in a few days
> 
>  **707:** hope you read through my route too
> 
>  **707:** I'll meet you soon, MC!
> 
> _707 has left the chatroom_


	6. Waiting For Player Two - After Ending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay explanations~
> 
> I was only supposed to write Baekju's birthday (bc I love both Jumin and Baekju) but then I left Saeran's segment like that and it was so anticlimatic and, like, where is the Seven part? Where's the reuniting part? I just NEEDED to get one but I can't handle a 4000+ word chapter (takes too long to make it HTML) so I decided to cut it BUT it was gonna be so unfair that Jumin and Saeran has stuff after the main story. Then I realized, after doing a route, you unlock the After Endings. That's when it hit me. After Endings, such a perfect excuse to write more for _Stood Up_ and _Daring the Devil_!
> 
> But of course with the After Endings, we have Free Talk! Free Talk will be in the end notes.

“Babe! Come on, we’re almost live!” MC called as she finished setting up the web cam, “I don’t want to be even a second too late.”

“I’m coming,” Yoosung responded then appeared entering the room, “You have everything there?”

MC nodded, “They’ve been here since yesterday. This _is_ a pretty special one.”

Yoosung walked over to his wife then placed a kiss on her forehead, “Happy anniversary, dear.”

MC chuckled, “You’ve been saying that all day.”

Yoosung grinned, “I still can’t believe though. We’ve been married for a year. So wild.”

MC grabbed Yoosung and hugged him tight, “And to many more years?”

“Of course,” Yoosung replied, “Many many many more years.”

The light on the web cam turned on, signalling that they were on air. MC laughed weakly as she let go of Yoosung.

“Hello there, shooting stars! It’s MC here!” She introduced

“And Yoosung,” Yoosung supplied, “And you’re watching Neon Stars!”

“You’re probably wondering why today, of all days, is the day we chose to go live and the reason is because it’s the channel’s third year anniversary!” MC cheered as effect went through the video, “This is also extra special because,”

“It’s our first wedding anniversary!” Yoosung continued, “You all know how that happened.”

MC chuckled, “So today, we decided to look back on what happened. I mean, three years, wow, such a long time. I love how the channel and all of you shooting stars were witnesses on how we grew and how we got married and through the first year of our marriage.”

“And people said the first year of marriage was tough,” Yoosung commented, “It was easy and sweet, i tell you.” He pulled MC closer to him, “I can’t believe I didn’t get married earlier.”

“We compiled several videos all throughout the years so to the new subscribers, hang on to the edge of your seats for new content and to the subscribers form way before, we’re gonna show you all some never before seen footages,” MC explained, “The moment Yoosung suggested that we’d make a reminiscence live video, there was one special event that popped into mind and that is the wedding.”

“That’s true,” Yoosung spoke, “She literally yelled ‘wedding video!’ to my face and we were in a library. How awesome was that?”

“Oh hey wait, the VIPs have arrived!” Yoosung announced as the RFA members each posted their greeting to the comments section, “So glad you guys could make it.”

MC chuckled before clicking the play button on the first video that was at the bottom of the screen. The viewers of the live video were shown a small version of the video they were watching at the bottom right part of their screen.

The video showed MC and Yoosung in their wedding attires, sitting down on the floor.

 _“And here we see the newly wedded couple who snuck out of the reception,”_ the hushed voice of Seven was heard, _“The food was served five minutes ago and look at that, they’re playing video games in a closet.”_

MC laughed at the commentary, “Okay but we forgot to film for Friday Game Night Section back then.”

 _“I think I’m gonna hack into their game,”_ Seven chuckled, _“Nah. This’ll be my gift.”_

 ** _“Hello newlyweds!”_** Seven yelled and MC and Yoosung threw the controllers down

Yoosung glared angrily at his friend before running to get the camera from him. There were sounds of struggle and the camera filmed absolute blurs from all the movements.

The video ended and MC was laughing her butt off. She remembered that moment dearly and would often watch it and laugh loudly so if ever Yoosung went home to an MC who was laughing so loudly that she couldn’t control it, he knew that she had watched one of the videos.

“MC thinks it’s absolutely hilarious,” Yoosung pointed out

MC sighed happily then wiped the tears out of the corners of her eyes, “Gosh those were good times.”

“The video was filmed by our friend and the Shooting Star server’s top one player, Hacker God, who, right now, is flodding the comments bar with memes and explaining how terrible I was at getting the camera from him,” Yoosung said, “This next video is my contribution. My personal fave moment, the eleventh Saturday Nights Out.”

“Wait, the eleventh is the proposal,” MC stated, turning to look at Yoosung

Yoosung gave her a sheepish smile, “Didn’t we agree to choose our favorites out of all of then?”

MC blushed lightly before hugging Yoosung, burying her face to his chest to hide the blush from the camera.

“This was a never before scene footage from before the proposal,” Yoosung explained

He played the video and it showed the same way the first video did.

Yoosung was seen setting up the camera used, his face filling up the entire screen. Once he deemed that it was fine, he grinned to the camera.

 _“Alright so I changed the date on her phone to Sunday and I asked her out last week for a date on Sunday,”_ he explained, _“She’s gonna be so confused.”_ Yoosung laughed, _“Wish me luck!”_

MC was seen coming from the right, her face showed confusion when she saw Yoosung who was dressed up in a white longsleeved shirt and slacks standing at the door.

 _“I thought you were going to work.”_ she said, _“Why are you dressed up?”_

 _“We’re going on a date?”_ Yoosung responded, _“MC, you didn’t forget right? Sunday evening, restaurant reservations, ring a bell?”_

MC raised a brow, _“Honey it’s Friday.”_

 _“Honey,”_ Yoosung placed his hands on her shoulders, _“It’s Sunday.”_

 _“No, it’s Friday,”_ MC countered, _“It was just Thursday yesterday.”_

Yoosung showed MC her phone which showed the date.

_“See, it’s Sunday,”_

MC stared long and hard before pulling out her phone and seeing the same date.

 _“I could’ve sworn it was only Friday,”_ MC muttered, _“Wait, this isn’t one of your pranks, is it?”_

Yoosung raised a brow, _“Why would I do that?”_

 _“Because you want to mess with me and it’s Prank Wars month,”_ MC answered, _“So how’d we film for Friday Game Night?”_

 _“We filmed it last Sunday,”_ Yoosung answered

 _“And for Saturday Nights Out next week?”_ MC asked

 _“We agreed that we’d film tonight since we stayed in yesterday,”_ Yoosung replied, _“Now come on, honey. We’re gonna be late for our reservations.”_

MC nodded, still confused, but went along with it. Yoosung laughed silently as soon as she left and walked over to the camera.

 _“I’m gonna put it back in the right time when she sleeps,”_ Yoosung whispered, _“Tonight, I’m gonna pop the question and this surely won’t be a prank. Wish me luck!”_

“I intended to upload that video,” Yoosung spoke, “But she might call off the engagement.”

“Why would I do that though?” MC asked, “And besides, _you_ didn’t win that year’s Prank Wars month.”

Yoosung’s eyes widened as MC started laughing, “No!”

“Yes!” MC grinned deviously, “The next video was from last year’s Prank Wars month that had the most views of all time, most likes of all the Prank Wars that year, and voted best prank of all time. I don’t even have never before seen footage of it. I’m just going to replay the one minute video from last year.”

“Please give it up for ‘I caught my boyfriend singing in the shower’!” MC announced then clicked play

“Honey, why this of all videos?” Yoosung whined

“It’s my favorite,” MC answered

The video showed MC giggling silently, the water from the shower loud.

 _“So it’s Prank Wars month and I can’t think of a good prank this year,”_ MC narrated, _“But, I heard Yoosung singing in the shower so I’ll just surprise him with some,”_ she added then showed the small wide tube she held, “glitter!”

MC entered the bathroom casually, _“Honey, don’t open the curtains. I’m just gonna pee for a sec.”_

 _“Okay,”_ Yoosung responded which made MC laugh but still silently

MC flushed the toilet then walked over to the shower curtain.

_“Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you,”_

MC harshly pulled the shower curtain away and filmed the top half of Yoosung, wide eyed in shock, who was covered in water. MC laughed then threw glitter at his chest.

 _“Never gonna make you cry, never gonna sat goodbye, never gonna tell a lie and hurt you,”_ MC continued through laughter as she filmed Yoosung trying to remove the glitter with water

The video ended and MC laughed loudly at the reaction Yoosung gave her.

“The glitter stayed for two months,” Yoosung commented, “Until this day I swear I find glitter on my body.”

“You tried to wash it off!” MC announced then continued laughing, “Omigosh wait, we’re running out of time.”

Yoosung chuckled, “Well yeah, you spent most of the time laughing.”

MC hugged Yoosung tightly, “Honey are you mad? You’re cute when you’re mad.”

“Not mad.” Yoosung gave a smile to her, “Anyways, our forty five minutes are almost up. So for next week, we’ll have how and why you should make your own teddy bear for DIY-nesday, then there’s a cave raid in LOLOL for Friday Game Night, you wouldn’t want to miss that, and a special trip for Saturday, although it’s not a night out.”

“Last announcement!” MC exclaimed, “So recently, we’ve been having difficulties in human resources. We thought, oh hey, we’re running out of new ideas to do so we’ve decided to have an addition to the people who air in the videos.”

“This one person’s pretty special for us,” Yoosung spoke then held MC’s hand tightly, “And we’re pretty excited to have a new addition to the team. But until then, I’m gonna be player one.”

“And I’ll be the player two that he was always waiting for,” MC added, “And now,”

Yoosung pulled out a small bib from under the computer table.

“We’re waiting for player three,” he said, showing the small bib to the camera, “We’re having an addition to the family soon!”

MC stood up and stood sidewys, showing the small baby bump that graced her stomach, “I’m about four months in and we’ve been waiting for the day to announce this since forever.”

Yoosung read then comments below that was filled with hype and words from Zen about how they weren’t the first ones to know then gave a low chuckle.

“No, Seven, we’re not going to show a DIY-nesday video of the baby,” he spoke

MC laughed weakly at that, “So Saturday’s very special trip is to the ob to check how the baby’s doing. We’re quite excited actually and we’ve been buying baby stuff every now and then.”

Yoosung nodded in agreement as MC sat down, “So in just a few short months, our very own little crew will be arriving and we hope you’d like to see them as much as we would.”

“That’s it for the livestream this month,” MC announced, “We’ll see you again next week for the videos and for those who didn’t start watching from the beginning, we will be posting this video in a few hours.”

“So, Shooting Stars, I’m Yoosung,”

“And I’m MC,”

“And this is the Neon Stars,” Yoosung finished, “Hopefully someday that wouldn’t be two names but three. Or more.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, Yoosung's story here. It was so shallow and left plot holes like: Why did Minjun get back together with MC? Why would V just suddenly let a stranger join the app (I mean what if she and Yoosung broke up?)? So many questions that I left (and forgot).
> 
> So basically, Minjun only got together with MC because Shijee is conservative and believes in the "sex after marriage" principle and so does Minjun's parents. So, he went back to his ex, and after realizing that she still loved him (because of her slightly exhilirated reaction), made a move that same night just to stick his business in somewhere.
> 
> To the second question, I'll leave it up to you to interpret it but personally (not canonically to this story) I think V is kind enough to let a good heart in. He knows how much Yoosung loves the MC and the fact that they will get married is almost a hundred percent sure so he doesn't hesitate to let another one in in the family.
> 
> The next story for Yoosung is the vet and the preschool teacher MC. So he's already with his PhD and the MC is a preschool teacher (with a twist). Yoosung goes second this time around since Seven won the poll.
> 
>  
> 
> **One-line summary:**
> 
>  
> 
> _"Seven, I'm not kidding. A client just literally walked in the clinic. She forgot her pet! How will anyone forget to bring their pet when going to the vet?"_


	7. You (Don't) Know Me - Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “And this is,” Zen spoke then gestured to the red head, “Seven. His real name’s Luciel Choi but we call him Seven.”
> 
> MC stared at the red head for a moment, “I think I know you.”
> 
> Seven raised a brow, “Me? Know me? Maybe not. You can’t possibly know me of all people.”
> 
> MC tilted her head to the right then her face lit up a moment after, “I remember you! Luciel Choi! How can I forget that name?”
> 
> “You know him, babe?” Zen asked
> 
> “Know him? He was my best friend!” MC grinned wide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **WARNING! THIS CHAPTER HAS MAJOR SPOILERS ON 707'S ROUTE. I WILL MAKE A VERSION THAT IS SPOILER FREE BUT THAT WILL BE IN A FEW HOURS.**
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Also eyooooo new series~

“Zenny!”

The white headed man looked up from his phone then saw the brunette running over to him. He grinned wide then opened his arms for the woman. She immediately hugged him as soon as she got there and the man wrapped his arms around her just as tightly.

“I missed you already, babe!” He exclaimed, placing a kiss on her forehead

“I missed you too, Zenny!” The woman responded

Zen’s manager sighed, “You saw each other earlier.”

“It’s been so long since.” Zen chuckled, “You missed me too, MC?”

MC looked up and smiled at Zen, “I really did. And I’m really excited to meet your friends today.”

“They’re as excited as you are,” Zen replied, “Ready to go, princess?”

MC nodded her head then interwined her right hand with Zen’s left hand. They walked out of the theater and to the restaurant where they’d promise to meet. They got there last since Zen saw that everyone were already gathered at a table, gleefully talking.

“I _know_!” Yoosung, the blond, groaned, “I’m gonna fail at this point.”

“You have to keep your grades up if you want that internship,” Jumin, the one in the coat, responded

“I’m still a candidate?” Yoosung asked

“Lame,” Zen interrupted, catching everbody’s attention, “that’s nepotism.”

“Recruitment,” Jumin countered

“What’s the difference between recruitment and nepotism?” Seven, the red head with the thick rimmed glasses

“Nepotism is when you give someone a job when you know that they won’t be of help,” Zen responded

“Wait!” Seven, nearly, shouted, “Zen, is she MC?”

Everyone turned to the woman standing beside Zen. MC shyly waved her hand and smiled.

“Hello,” she greeted

“Hi! You must be MC!” The blond smiled at her then waved back, “I’m Yoosung!”

“Hi Yoosung,” MC replied

Jumin stuck his hand out, “Jumin Han. It is nice to meet you, MC.”

“Jumin Han? As in _the_ Jumin Han?” MC asked as she shook his hand

Jumin shot a small smirk to Zen who just rolled his eyes, “Yes, that Jumin Han.”

“I can _not_ believe that you’re friends with Jumin Han, babe,” MC told Zen, looking up at him

“Friends… yeah,” Zen responded, “Anyways, this is Jaehee.”

“Nice to meet you, MC,” Jaehee shook hands with the new girl, “It’s good to finally have another woman in the group.”

MC smiled at Jaehee, “I feel like we’d be great friends, Jaehee.”

“I hope so,” Jaehee responded

“And this is,” Zen spoke then gestured to the red head, “Seven. His real name’s Luciel Choi but we call him Seven.”

MC stared at the red head for a moment, “I think I know you.”

Seven raised a brow, “Me? Know me? Maybe not. You can’t possibly know me of all people.”

MC tilted her head to the right then her face lit up a moment after, “I remember you! Luciel Choi! How can I forget that name?”

“You know him, babe?” Zen asked

“Know him? He was my best friend!” MC grinned wide, “How can I forget the little nerd back then?”

“Little nerd?” Seven furrowed his brows

Yoosung chuckled, “Little nerd.”

“Ya he had these really big glasses that took up almost his whole face,” MC explained, “And his hair, I always thought you dyed it.”

“Waaaaait,” Seven replied, “Why can I not remember you? And big glasses? I stopped wearing those when I entered college! Who are you, MC?”

“I’m your friend from church! Duh!” MC responded, making her way towards the other one, “But I remember that you only started Luciel when you got baptized.”

“Baptized? You mean Luciel isn’t your real name?” Jumin asked

“Yeah, it was something like Sae. Saeyoon? Saeyo-, Saeyu-.” MC snapped her fingers, “Saeyoung! Saeyoung’s your birth name!”

Seven’s eyes widened, stood up abruptly, then put a hand over MC’s mouth, “Saeyoung? Haha, you must have mistaken me for someone else, MC.”

MC rolled her eyes then bit his hand, “Same old Saeyoung.”

“Your name sounds kinda weird,” Yoosung stated

“How’s your twin? You always talked about him. Saeran, was it?” MC asked

Seven gripped onto the table then slowly sat himself down, “I… I’m feeling dizzy. I have to go home.”

MC furrowed her brows, “Was it something I said? Saeyoung are you okay?”

Seven stood up, gathered his belongings, and dashed out of the restaurant. MC looked at him until he was out of sight.

“You okay?” Zen asked, placing a hand on her back

MC nodded, “I… I think it was because of me.”

“Just how much do you know about Seven?” Yoosung asked

“We’re childhood friends. I think I remember him asking if we’ll get married at the space station when we were little,” MC responded

“I think that he’s avoiding because his precious privacy isn’t so private anymore,” Jumin pointed out

“That is true,” Jaehee added, “He’s always been like that.”

MC frowned, feeling down about the reunion.

“It’s okay, babe, he’ll warm up to you soon again.”

•••

Seven placed his head on the steering wheel, “God. It’s MC. It… it can’t be.”


	8. You (Don't) Know Me - 01

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a back story that is set and I love it because it is very petty :3
> 
> 030217 update: I updated the chats here just a tiny bit just because

“I had fun today,” Zen said as you and him walked hand and hand at the sidewalk

You looked up at him and saw his happy expression even with his eyes being covered by glasses that hid them. You enjoyed yourself, true, but you couldn’t help but feel a bit sad. You have been recently reunited with your childhood best friend and all he did was say that he didn’t know you. This was even more painful than the moment when Saeyoung

“You’re bummed out,” Zen had interrupted your train of thought

“I-It’s not that, babe,” you assured him

He squeezed your hand a bit tighter, “I know that you’re upset that Seven acted like that. No need to hide it from me.”

MC pouted, “I think he didn’t want to see me.”

“Maybe it was he didn’t _expect_ to see you,” Zen pointed out

“Hyun, this is serious. Saeyoung’s my best friend and I never had any closure after, after, well…” you responded

“Well, he’ll warm up to you again,” Zen stated, “Seven’s not the kind of guy to hold grudges.”

You nodded in agreement, “But you guys were supposed to have fun earlier. I think I ruined it.”

Zen placed a kiss on your head, “Babe, what in the world are you talking about? They were all happy even if Seven wasn’t there.”

“Still,” you muttered, “I can’t help but think that… that he did.”

“Who did what?” Zen raised a brow

You looked up at Zen, frowning, “I think he’s still holding a grudge towards me.”

•••

_707 has entered the chatroom_

**Yoosung☆:** Seveeeeeeeeeeen

 **707:** Yoosuuuuuuuuuung

_ZEN has entered the chatroom_

**Yoosung☆:** Zeeeeeeeeeeen

 **ZEN:** Why are you yelling out names?

 **707:** Zeeeeeeeeeeen

 **707:** I…

 **707:** actually dont know

 **707:** so hey

 **707:** everyone ate dinner already?

 **Yoosung☆:** Tried cooking today

 **707:** ooh how was it?

 **Yoosung☆:** I said I  tried

 **Yoosung☆:** I didnt say I did

 **707:** lolololol

 **ZEN:** So irresponsible.

 **707:** ur one to talk mr chicken and beer

 **ZEN:** I changed my lifestyle

 **ZEN:** For the better

 **Yoosung☆:** You mean you drink less beer???

 **ZEN:** I don’t anymore

 **ZEN:** And I’m not smoking as frequently

 **Yoosung☆:** I’m wondering what came

 **Yoosung☆:** and abducted your real self

 **Yoosung☆:** and replaced you with this new Zen

 **707:** I know! I know!

 **707:** wizards! definitely wizards from another universe!

 **707:** this isn’t the real zen! he’s… a clone

 **707:** so his real self can go to another universe

 **707:** and become a new character with a new life

 **707:** like they do with those cherry games

 **ZEN:** Haha. Very funny.

 **707:** I know, im funny

 **ZEN:** But to be honest,

 **ZEN:** It’s an angel

 **Yoosung☆:** Ooh so mushy

 **Yoosung☆:** he’s not even complimenting himself!

 **Yoosung☆:** what a big change!

 **707:** angel?

 **707:** u mean

 **707:** [this angel???](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/b9/26/20/b92620331ea7da3119845ba519761d13.jpg)

 **Yoosung☆:** Why

 **Yoosung☆:** do you always

 **ZEN:** She’s pretty

 **ZEN:** And kinda looks like Rika

 **ZEN:** Yoosung you think you wanna date a girl like her?

 **707:** lolololol

 **Yoosung☆:** **_No._**

 **Yoosung☆:** **_Never._**

 **ZEN:** What’s wrong with you?

 **707:** Cutie Yoosung I’m offended

 **Yoosung☆:** That

 **Yoosung☆:** Is

 **Yoosung☆:** Seven

 **ZEN:** …

 **ZEN:** Really?

 **Yoosung☆:** yes

 **ZEN:** REALLY?

 **Yoosung☆:** YES

 **ZEN:** I…

 **ZEN:** have to go for a while

_ZEN has left the chatroom_

_Jumin Han has entered the chatroom_

**Jumin Han:** Why is there a photo of Luciel looking like a woman?

 **707:** i look pretty right?

 **707:** tell me im pretty

 **Jumin Han:** No.

_ZEN has entered the chatroom_

**ZEN:** I’m okay now

 **ZEN:** Also, I remember why I logged on

 **707:** to bask in my beauty?

 **707:** that transcends beyond any gender?

 **707:** and breaks all barriers of clothing?

 **ZEN:** You sound weird.

 **Jumin Han:** That feeling is how we feel on our every encounter with you.

 **ZEN:** I’m going to pretend I didn’t read that.

 **ZEN:** I came to ask

 **ZEN:** What’s this “grudge” with MC all about?

_707 has left the chatroom_

**Yoosung☆:** ?

_707 has entered the chatroom_

**707:** No one,

 **707:** and I mean no one,

 **707:** will ask me about my past

 **707:** even if my own life depended on it.

 **707:** and lastly,

 **707:** I am not the Saeyoung that MC was talking about

 **707:** end of story.

_707 has left the chatroom_

**Yoosung☆:** I’m concerned

 **Yoosung☆:** Is it because MC knows too much about him?

 **ZEN:** Probably?

 **ZEN:** I hate that he’s pushing her away

 **ZEN:** MC’s very affected

 **Jumin Han:** Well having a childhood friend is a complicated thing.

_V has entered the chatroom_

**ZEN:** V!

 **Yoosung☆:** hi

 **Jumin Han:** V, you’re here.

 **V:** Yes, I heard about Zen’s girlfriend.

 **V:** I’m sorry I couldn’t make it earlier.

 **ZEN:** It’s okay

 **ZEN:** You’re busy so it’s really fine

 **V:** I heard that she knows Luciel…

 **ZEN:** Yeah, they’re childhood friends

 **V:** MC, was it?

 **ZEN:** Yeah.

 **V:** Rika treated her like a little sister.

 **Yoosung☆:** You two know MC too?

 **V:** Yes, we all went to the same church.

 **V:** Luciel and MC were unseperable. They always went together and left together. They were actually adorable together.

 **V:** Sorry, Hyun.

 **ZEN:** It’s okay. It’s all in the past.

 **Yoosung☆:** I can’t imagine Seven having friends as a child.

 **Jumin Han:** I cannot imagine Luciel as a child.

 **Yoosung☆:** …yeah

 **V:** I never thought we would get to see MC again after all these years.

 **V:** And now, Luciel is the one who is avoiding her.

 **ZEN:** “Now”?

 **V:** Yes. MC didn’t tell you?

 **ZEN:** No. I’m curious. Please tell.

 **V:** I want to but I think it’s not in my place to. I think it would be better if MC or Luciel would be the one to tell.

 **ZEN:** So far, she hasn’t told me anything

 **Jumin Han:** Whatever happened to them as a child should stay there.

 **Jumin Han:** Have you not been taught how to not be rude?

 **ZEN:** As if you know much about being proper

 **Jumin Han:** I was taught to be proper since I started formal schooling.

 **Yoosung☆:** So, V

 **Yoosung☆:** is there any chance we can have a party again?

 **Yoosung☆:** For Rika?

 **V:** I’ll… think about it.

 **V:** I have to go now

 **V:** I’m going through a tunnel

 **Jumin Han:** You’re driving?

 **V:** Haha, no. I’m in a taxi.

 **V:** Goodbye for now. Tell Luciel, MC, and Jaehee I said hi.

_V has left the chatroom_

**Jumin Han:** As I was saying,

 **Jumin Han:** You should not pry Luciel and MC about a past they do not want to talk about.

 **ZEN:** I’m not prying

 **Yoosung☆:** this isnt worth arguing about

 **Jumin Han:** Yoosung is correct.

 **ZEN:** You started it!

 **Jumin Han:** I was only defending the two.

 **Jumin Han:** Nothing good will come out from prying.

 **ZEN:** And you of all people know that because?

 **Yoosung☆:** again. this is pointless.

 **Yoosung☆:** I can’t believe that I’m the rational one here lolololol

 **ZEN:** MC is calling

 **ZEN:** See you around, Yoosung

_ZEN has left the chatroom_

**Jumin Han:** I must excuse myself

_Jumin Han has left the chatroom_

_707 has entered the chatroom_

**707:** didnt even get to talk to V

 **Yoosung☆:** What are you running away from?

 **707:** other intels mostly

 **Yoosung☆:** …

 **707:** im a dangerous man

 **707:** but i am very trustworthy

 **707:** so if i say that i am not the saeyoung that mc is talking about

 **707:** then i am not the saeyoung that mc is talking about

 **Yoosung☆:** Fine~

 **Yoosung☆:** We’ll drop it

 **Yoosung☆:** But don’t think that I won’t be suspicious of you

 **707:** thats normal. everyone should be suspicious of me lolol

 **707:** also

 **707:** yoosung you should really use incognito

 **707:** or else some hacker will get your browser history

 **707:** and reveal it to the world!

 **Yoosung☆:** NO!

 **Yoosung☆:** YOU’LL FIND OUT ABOUT MY LOLOL MERCH PURCHASES!

 **707:** …i was not thinking about that

 **707:** anyways be careful~

 **707:** DEFENDER OF JUSTICE, OUT!

_707 has left the chatroom_

•••

You sat at the front row of the theater as you watched Zen rehearse up on the stage. It was one of those rare moments when you were allowed to do so since Zen’s management was strict. But nonetheless, you craved the opportunity and were perfectly behaved whenever you _did_ go watch him.

Perfectly behaved but not all the time.

Zen sat at a chair, a mug in his hand. He had on a huge hat that slightly covered his face but he still looked so perfect. From the right, a woman entered, walk sultry. She went over to him and sat on the empty seat beside him. Zen glared at the woman as she ordered her drink. Taking her eyes off the bartender, she turned to Zen, sending a wink towards him.

“And cut!” The director yelled, the roles instantly breaking and the staff running left and right to do their jobs, “Quick break everybody!”

Zen jumped down the stage and walked over to you, placing a kiss on your cheek.

“I’m glad you came,” he told you

“Oh I am surely glad I did,” you responded then crossed your arms, “I mean, you with that girl without supervision? Not a chance, Hyun.”

Zen chuckled lightly, “You’re jealous, babe.”

“I’m not! I am _seething_!” You responded, “That is not the way you look at a co-worker.”

“Babe, she’s supposed to be my love interest in the play,” Zen replied, resting his left cheek on your right shoulder, “But in the real world, _you’re_ the love interest.”

“That is _not_ what I was talking about,” you grumbled, “Right at this very moment, she is staring at you like you’re some piece of meat.”

Zen smiled slightly then peppered your face with kisses. You blushed lightly because _hello Zen we are in public_. He chuckled then put his forehead on yours.

“If she was thinking of getting me then, then I don’t she is now,” he stated, “Trust me, babe, I want to shout it to the world. You’re pretty much the best thing that’s happened to me so you better believe that I’m not leaving you any time soon.”

“Fine, fine, fine,” You replied, “I believe you so you better hold on to that promise. I… have my fair share of reasons to have trust issues.”

“I understand,” Zen replied, “Well, break’s over. Will you be staying until the end?”

“Of course. The number one fan should _always_ have access to sneak peaks,” You stated


	9. You (Don't) Know Me - 02

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so we begin
> 
> Ooh also, I updated the first chapted of this one and added some stuff in the chats

_Saeyoung entered the church dressed in his very best. It was a special day today so he had to be presentable. After this, he was going to celebrate with Saeran and then they would both be happy._

_So he entered the church with a wide grin. Everybody waited for him inside and they all greeted him as soon as they saw him._

_“Saeyoung!” A girl his age ran to him, “Are you excited?”_

_He nodded. He was very much excited for this new life ahead of him. All his closest friends, Saeran excluded, were there, and they would all celebrate. It was a special day indeed._

_“I am!” He responded_

_“Is your new name ready?” The girl asked_

_He nodded again, “Yeah.”_

_A blonde woman accompanied with a teal haired man walked over to them. She shot him a warm smile._

_“What name would you like, Saeyoung?” The woman asked_

_“Luciel,” he answered_

_“Luciel?” The woman raised her brow, “The fallen angel?”_

_“Yes, Luciel. I… want to redo the name Luciel; to change it so that it wouldn’t be the fallen angel,” he responded_

_The woman smiled and nodded, “I am proud.”_

_“How does baptismal work?” He asked_

_“You’ll know when you get there,”_

Seven opened his eyes and saw the glow in the dark stars stuck to his ceiling. He rubbed his eyes with his fists then slowly sat up. He grabbed his phone and noticed the new notification.

_From: ZEN_

_MC was asking for your number. Is it okay if I give it to her?_

He rolled his eyes then quickly typed up his response.

_To: ZEN_

_No._

The reply came no later than half a minute.

_From: ZEN_

_Why not? She really wants to talk to you._

_To: ZEN_

_Because I don’t want complete strangers knowing my number_

_From: ZEN_

_Oh shut up. She’s not a complete stranger to you._

_To: ZEN_

_If you give her my number, will she stop saying that I’m Saeyoung?_

_From: ZEN_

_MC said yes._

_To: ZEN_

_Fine._

Seven sighed then placed his phone on the bed. It didn’t even take her two minutes to call him.

_“Seven? Hi! It’s me, MC!”_

“I figured,” Seven replied, “Why’d you call?”

_“Can we meet today?”_

“I have a _ton_ of work to do,” Seven responded

_“Please? I cleared my entire schedule today. Even if it’s just for two hours, please.”_

“I can’t quite get a break from you,” Seven sighed, “Fine. Two hours.”

He gave her the details to where and when they would meet. Seven got ready for the day and hoped that it wouldn’t be as horrible as he thought it would.

•••

You sat inside a coffee shop, your knees not quite still. How could you even stay still? You were supposed to meet Saeyoung on such a short notice, you didn’t have much time to collect your thoughts. But who was even judging? It was Saeyoung, just the Saeyoung that cared for you so much as a child. He was kind and caring and understanding. He’d probably understand if you yelled when he enters.

But of course you didn’t. You sat there and smiled at him as he entered, albeit screaming internally.

He sat down in front of you and spoke, “What did you want to talk about?”

“Saeyoung,” you started breathily

He shook his head, “The deal was-.”

“You’re not the Saeyoung I’m looking for, I get it, but we’re the only two around. Who are we fooling?” You asked, “Look, I, I just, you know! We were kids and all but I guess you just, well… yeah.”

“I did not understand anything,” he responded

“I _know_ that you’re Saeyoung and I’m sorry if I told that to the others, okay?” You started properly, “But what did I do wrong that I deserved being… being _shoved_ to ‘I don’t know you’?”

“Too many to say,” he replied

“I was never mean to you, I always defended you from bullies, I even promised you that I’d marry you at the space station!” You exclaimed, “We had proper closure when I left and all promises were kept.”

“ _All_ promises?” Seven raised his brow, “Are you sure?”

“Y-yes,” you replied, “But, see, we’re adults now and I’m even dating your friend so can we just please get along? I’m… I miss you, Saeyoung. So much.”

Seven sighed, “I miss you too, MC.”

You smiled slightly then stood up to wrap your arms around his neck, holding him tight for an embrace.

“I can’t believe we got to see each other again,” you whispered, pulling him in closer, “I’m never letting you disappear again.”

“Excuse me, missy,” Seven responded with a soft chuckled, “I think you’re the one who went MIA.”

You smiled when you felt his arms wrapping around your body. This felt absolutely nice. At least they had one thing down.

“Oh, V said hi,” Seven stated as he pulled out of the hug

“V?” You raised a brow

“Jihyun,” he answered

And your grin went wide, “Oppa? I miss him too! How is he? Is he and Unnie married now?”

Seven rubbed his nape, “Haha, yeah, Rika’s… gone. But, but Jihyun is happy, I think, and we’re still as close.”

“What about Saeran? I remember the day I met him,” you spoke then chuckled lightly, “What a shy little version of you.”

“He’s being taken care of V,” Seven answered, “But let’s have none of those sad stuff. What matters is now, right?”

You smiled up at your friend, “I’m really glad that we’re working things out.”

He nodded, “I am too but can you please not expose me to everybody? I have a real identity to hide, you know.”

You nodded and chuckled, “I’m sorry that. Anyways, yes, you’re officially _not_ Saeyoung when someone’s around. You’re just Seven, was it?”

He nodded at that.

“Yes, you’re just Seven, the new guy I met through my boyfriend.”

“Speaking of which,” Seven stated, “How did you and Zen meet?”

“He was an annoying customer at the store I worked at.”

•••

_Zen entered the convenience store, glasses over his eyes and a jacket hood covering half his face._

_“Uh, sir, can you kindly put your hood down?” MC spoke_

_The man looked at the source of the sound and saw that it was the woman behind the cashier. He walked over to her and spoke._

_“Sorry, I can’t do that.”_

_MC raised a brow, “Well then I have to kindly tell you that you have to get out.”_

_“Why? I’m wearing clothes and I have shoes. There’s no reason to not let me in here,” He responded_

_“Yes there is. We don’t serve suspicious customers.” MC crossed her arms, “It’s either you get out or I’ll call the police.”_

_The man chuckled, “You must be new here.”_

_“Yes but I know the rules. There is no way I’m giving you service unless the CCTV identifies you,” MC responded_

_“Well, let me tell you this. The lady here that worked before you used to serve me all the time even with my whole face covered,” He replied_

_“Sorry but I’m not that lady,” MC said, “Like I said, it’s either you put that hood down or you get out.”_

_“I’m_ not _putting my hood down,”_

_“Then you’re not welcome here,” she spat_

_The man sighed exasperatedly, “What can I do to convince you that I’m not going to do anything illegal?”_

_“Putting your hood down and removing your glasses,” she answered_

_“Other than that.”_

_“Leave.”_

_“Come on I just want to bu-.”_

_“I said leave!”_

_“Fine. Fine. I’m removing it.”_

_The man grumbled as he brought the hood down and removed his eyewear._

_He looked at her, half-lidded, and muttered, “Happy now?”_

_MC nodded, “Very. So what was it you wanted?”_

_“Black Angel,” he replied_

_The girl nodded but raised her brow, “You don’t look like the type to smoke.”_

_He gently placed four cans of beer on the counter then fished for his wallet. She muttered an ‘alright then’ and grabbed a pack of Black Angel under the counter. She checked everything out and he paid for it, his eyes watching her every move._

_“For someone who works for customer service, you are sure are quite rude,” he spoke_

_MC rolled her eyes, “I was only protecting my safety and the safety of my uncle’s business. If someone came up to you during work with their face all covered up, you’d do the same.”_

_He shook his head in disagreement, “Probably not.”_

_She groaned, “Fine, how can I make it up to you so you’d take absolutely zero offense?”_

_“A da-.”_

_“No! Not that! Definitely not that! I’l give you a discount or a product here but not a date.”_

_He chuckled, “You’re adorable when you get angry. I’ll come back, probably tomorrow, and I’ll tell you.”_

_He turned around and walked to the door, shooting her one last glance and a wink then went on his way._

•••

Seven laughed, completely forgetting about the time. You two met at around nine in the morning and it was nearing noon. Both of you didn’t mind though, especially Seven who made it all clear that you would only meet for two hours that day.

“So how did you get you for a first date?” He asked

“He was so persistent,” you answered, “Went to the store _everyday_ and he always asked me out.”

“But you never said yes?” Seven raised his brow

“Who would say yes to such an annoying guy?” You asked

Seven burst out laughing again, “This version is definitely different than the one he told us about.”

“What did he say?” You smiled wide

“He said you two met at a convenience store and that you’re the cashier,” Seven explained

“That part he got right,” you commented

“Yeah then he said that it was love at first sight. You acted like you didn’t like him at first, kinda like you’re playing hard to get,” he added

“I totally did not!” You chuckled at the made up story, “Can he not accept that not everyone falls for him at first sight?”

“Probably not,” Seven responded, “So how did he get that first date again?”

“Well he became an annoying pop up,” you replied, “So I eventually said yes and thought ‘okay let’s get this over and done with’. I thought that he wouldn’t get a second date from me but he turned out to be an absolute gentleman.”

“And the second date?”

“He asked for it when he brought me home,” you answered, “Honestly I never thought I’d get much luck when I went back here but look at me, dating an awesome guy and reconnecting with my equally awesome childhood best friend.”

“Okay but _why_ and how do you make the best relationships out of the people you fight with on the first meeting?” Seven asked with a small laugh

You laughed, “That is very rude to say, Saeyoung. It wasn’t a total fight with you!”

“It was!” Seven defended, “I even cried because of that.”

“Oh yeah,” you responded, “I also think that you’d still cry if I do that to you now though.”

“Will not!” He replied

“Of course you will.” You nodded then glanced at the clock at a nearby wall, “Oh no, it’s noon. I kept you too long.”

He looked up and shook his head, “No it’s okay. Anyways, it’s lunch, where do you want to eat? I’d cook for you but I’m scared that I’ll just burn down my kitchen.”

“No, it’s okay, I’m just gonna wait for Zen to finish his rehearsals,” you refused his offer

“No way. Zen doesn’t take much breaks and there is no way I’d let you starve,” Seven spoke then stood up, “Come on, I know this really nice place that I’ve wanted to try for some time.”

You smiled at him then nodded, gathering your things before both of you walked out of the cafe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DID I MENTION THAT I HAVE AN AMINO NOW? I'M "GAMER 606" GO SAY HI~


	10. You (Don't) Know Me - 03

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A week. It took me a whole freaking week to create this chapter and it's not even, like, 10,000 words long. Anyways, it's packed with meaty stuff just NOT long.
> 
> ALSO ON ANOTHER NOTE LET'S PLAY A GAME CALLED HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I ENDED A CHAPTER WITH THOSE EXACT SAME WORDS?

_MC sighed as the white headed entered the store for the fifth time that week. He had gone there every single day of the week, no exceptions in weekends, and at the exact same time everyday. And there was always that one question he’d ask after making his purchase._

_“Will you go on a date with me?”_

_Today, he finished his completely unecessary rounds, seeing as he had basically memorized the store, and went to the counter._

_“So,” he started_

_“Fine!” MC yelled, giving him the receipt of his purchases, “Fine, fine, fine. I will go on a date with you but don’t go expecting a second date.”_

_He grinned wide at her, “Really? Well finally. I’ll pick you up tomorrow for lunch. Sound good?”_

_MC rolled her eyes. It was just to get it over with, so this annoying guy who was slowly getting on her nerves would go away. Finally._

_“That’s good, I don’t have to go here tomorrow afternoon so,” MC trailed off, “Okay, yeah, sure.”_

_“Great, be prepared for the best date you’ll ever have.”_

_‘As if.’_

•••

_Beep._

“Hey, Zen, it’s, uh, it’s me,”

“I called to tell you… um, take care of MC, okay? She’s pretty much the only girl I care about so be a good knight to her.”

“She’s… she might look like she has it all together but she doesn’t, really, I want you to be there for her all the time because she needs someone.”

“You must be wondering why I’m saying all these things, haha, it’s just…”

“I’m a secret agent and all that and… I can’t have connections whatsoever.”

“I had fun with her today but, but I guess that’d be the last. I… have to leave soon anyways, a new person to watch, you know, work.”

“Please don’t tell her this, okay? I’m going to leave soon but I don’t want her to, um, to make me stay. This will be better.”

“So even if I’m not here, protect her with all you can. I… can I tell you a secret?”

“I’m supposed to be a secret agent, a robot, sort of, but… I had a crush on her when we were kids, and maybe I still hav-.”

“Vanderwood? What are you doing here?”

_Beep._

•••

_ZEN has entered the chatroom_

**707:** Oh hey there Zen!

 **Yoosung☆:** Hi!

_Jumin Han has entered the chatroom_

**707:** ooh is something big about to happen?

 **ZEN:** What are you talking about?

_Jaehee Kang has entered the chatroom_

**707:** see! we never get here together unless something big is about to happen

 **Jaehee Kang:** There he goes again.

 **Yoosung☆:** lolol I do understand it though

 **ZEN:** Again, what are you talking about?

 **707:** Hey Jumin you there?

 **Jumin Han:** Meow?

 **707:** lololol meow

 **ZEN:** Please do not meow.

 **Yoosung☆:** Gap moe lololol

 **707:** Gap moe seconded

 **ZEN:** Seven, can we talk in private?

 **707:** …am i being scolded?

 **ZEN:** No.

 **ZEN:** I just have to talk to you in private.

 **Yoosung☆:** i think it’s time…?

 **707:** ya

 **707:** it’s time lolol

 **707:** we dont have to talk in private, zen

 **707:** I planned on revealing it tonight

 **Jaehee Kang:** Reveal what?

 **707:** i’m going bye bye to the RFA

 **707:** hold ur violent reactions

 **707:** I’m assigned to go to…

 **707:** drum roll please!

 **707:** China!

 **707:** cue _life with masks_!!!

 **Jumin Han:** There are days when I would take you seriously,

 **Jumin Han:** today’s not one of those days.

 **Yoosung☆:** China? Why are you going there? How long? You’re going back right?

 **707:** …probably not

 **ZEN:** Oh stop it!

 **ZEN:** You’re just doing this to get away from MC!

 **707:** i wish i was though

 **Yoosung☆:** What’s gonna happen to the RFA?

 **Jumin Han:** I don’t suppose we’re getting a new intel.

 **Jaehee Kang:** Without Luciel, who’s going to take care of the information?

 **Yoosung☆:** ya you’re crucial to the RFA

 **707:** not really

 **707:** u guys know that my stay is temporary, right?

 **707:** i thought i made it clear when we started

 **ZEN:** And you want me to lie to MC about this?

 **707:** not really

 **707:** i just want you to not tell it to her

 **707:** those are totally different things

 **707:** V knows about it too

 **707:** so there’s no worry

 **707:** and besides, we’re not holding parties…

 **707:** the RFA, if not for all of us staying here, is actually dead

 **707:** soooo ure all gonna be fine even if i leave

 **Jaehee Kang:** …

 **ZEN:** I’m coming over.

 **707:** okay

 **707:** but ure not getting in

 **Jumin Han:** What is the truth, Luciel? Are you really going away for a job or are you going away because of MC?

 **707:** job

 **707:** we were supposed to send a girl over

 **707:** but we don’t have a girl

 **Yoosung☆:** Please tell me you’ll be back

 **707:** haha

 **707:** but then i’ll be lying

 **ZEN:** At least tell her though…

 **707:** ya. no.

 **707:** everyone should just pretend that i didn’t exist

 **Jaehee Kang:** Are you crazy, Luciel?

 **Jaehee Kang:** How can we pretend that an actual person didn’t exist?

 **707:** not talk about me…?

 **707:** also i’m removing myself from this messenger before i leave

 **707:** and i’m not bringing my phone or anything else

 **707:** new life, new seven

 **707:** …please let this be easy for me

_Yoosung☆ has left the chat_

**707:** …

 **707:** i better call him

 **ZEN:** Would you just reconsider?

 **ZEN:** You’re MC’s bestfriend,

 **ZEN:** she’ll be hurt to know this but at least then you’d have closure

 **ZEN:** I… know how you feel, okay? It’s obvious.

 **Jaehee Kang:** Mr Han, we should give them some privacy.

 **Jumin Han:** Akdldic

 **Jaehee Kang:** Mr Han?

 **Jumin Han:** Sorry, Elizabeth typed that.

 **707:** tell her i said akdldic too!

 **Jumin Han:** No.

_Jumin Han has left the chatroom_

_Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom_

**ZEN:** I logged on because of your voicemail…

 **707:** I’m serious, okay? I have to leave

 **ZEN:** Then tell her that

 **ZEN:** She won’t be mad about it if you do.

 **707:** She’ll stop me from leaving

 **ZEN:** So? At least then she’ll know that you didn’t just disappear!

 **ZEN:** You want me to take care of her but you’re doing all the hurting

 **ZEN:** God, you’re so frustrating!

 **707:** I… don’t want to tell her

 **707:** Im not coming back, Zen

 **707:** I couldnt even tell Yoosung that directly

 **707:** So do you think i can tell MC?

 **707:** if it wasnt obvious yet, then, shes my whole world, Zen

 **707:** when she left when we were children we… made a promise

 **707:** that someday we’ll get together again and that we’ll get married at the space station

 **707:** that we’ll never actually date other people

 **707:** we were so heartbroken that we made that promise

 **ZEN:** …is that why you walked out when I introduced her?

 **707:** we were 15. we thought we knew everything

 **ZEN:** Yes and now you’re both 22 and you’re going to talk

 **ZEN:** I’m not mad about that promise or whatever, I just want you to understand that she’s hurt

 **707:** alright

 **707:** then tell her for me

 **707:** i’ll… be leaving tomorrow morning

 **ZEN:** And you just decide to tell us _now_?

 **707:** the assignment was given when i went home after our lunch

 **ZEN:** …

 **ZEN:** I guess she didn’t tell you yet?

 **707:** tell me what?

 **ZEN:** She… didn’t want anyone to worry, really

 **707:** what happened to her?

 **ZEN:** She’s… sick.

 **707:** with?

 **ZEN:** …

 **707:** Tell me!

 **ZEN:** cancer

•••

_Zen and MC sat side by side on a bench at the hospital, both staring blankly at a white wall. MC’s head was resting on Zen’s right shoulder and his right hand was tangled with her left. Nobody said anything, just barely holding on to the not-so silence the hospital offered._

_He felt empty. So empty. Just when he and MC were getting serious, something just had to happen._

_If you asked him, he never wanted to be part of something so painful. It was so complicated and he never expected to be part of this._

_But he loved MC down to the very last fiber so there would be nothing he wouldn’t do for her safety and happiness._

_So he sat there with her, staring at the bland wall, waiting for a response._

_“If you’re thinking that I’m going to leave you after this,” he started off weakly, “then you’re wrong. I’m going to stay with you whatever happens.”_

_He squeezed their hands tighter._

_“Thanks,” MC whispered_

_“Are you scared?”_

_“Mhm.”_

_“Don’t worry, I won’t ever leave you.” He placed his head over hers, “And I’ll make sure that you’re not going to leave me behind here.”_

_“You’re making it sound like_ **_you’re_** _the one who’s going to leave me behind.”_

_He chuckled, “Isn’t it normal that the woman lives longer than the man?”_

_“You shut up. You’re not going to die before me. And why are we talking about this anyway?” MC asked_

_He shrugged lightly, “They were lines for the new play.”_

_MC chuckled but the laughter died down quickly, “You’re going to stay, right?”_

_“Course I am. There’s no force on earth that can separate us.”_

•••

The next thing Seven knew, he was over at Zen’s place while the white headed man cried his heart out through beer. Although he didn’t drink, he made sure that he listened to his friend… even if he couldn’t console through alcohol.

“Why didn’t you tell us sooner?” Seven asked emotionlessly, staring at the table in front of him

Zen shook his head and wiped the tears away, “Sh-she was getting well… sort of.”

“How is she holding up?” Seven asked, braving to look over at his friend

“Fine,” Zen replied weakly then look a swig on his beer can, “She didn’t want to tell anyone but her family knew.”

“I’m… I’m so scared,” Zen whispered, “I keep on showing her that I’m s-s-trong but I can’t do it anymore.”

Seven sighed then shook his head, “I’m sorry that I can’t stay here for the two of you.”

“Can’t you put it off?” Zen asked, “What if, what if, what if something happens to her?”

“I’m… how much do you need for her treatments?” Seven asked, “I’m leaving my cars and I’ll give you some so you’ll sell it.”

Zen nodded his head as his chin trembled, “Th-thank you.”

“I can’t not leave,” Seven spoke weakly

Zen nodded again, “I understand, I understand.”

“Will you take good care of her for me?”

“Yes. With all my heart, _yes_!” Zen yelled

Seven chuckled sadly, “Okay, okay now. Don’t go yelling. It’s nearly midnight.”

•••

Seven stared at the clouds passing by next to him. He dreamed of flying with the clouds for so many times, always wanting to fly freely with the sky and with the stars that were just so intoxicating. 

Unfortunately, his dream was just so far fetched that he could only achieve it by going on this huge contraption as he sped through the air at a reasonable speed.

He lied about leaving his phone. He can’t _ever_ leave it. And so his hands played with them, fingers tapping impatiently. Unbeknownst to the rest of the RFA members, he had a way to see the incoming chats without being detected as present in the chatroom himself so he waited for someone to go online so they would chat and keep him company because, in just a few hours, “Luciel Choi” didn’t exist.

_Yoosung☆ has entered the chatroom_

**Yoosung☆:** so tired

 **Yoosung☆:** and so sleepyyyyyyyy

 **Yoosung☆:** Jumin, Jaehee, when you read this

 **Yoosung☆:** Zen’s at room 312

 **Yoosung☆:** Hope you can visit

 **Yoosung☆:** MC badly needs support right now

 **Yoosung☆:** she’s not eating too

 **Yoosung☆:** I really hope Seven was just joking when he said that he’s leaving

_707 has entered the chatroom_

**Yoosung☆:** Seven!

 **707:** what’s happening?

 **707:** MC’s not eating?

 **707:** what happened to her?

 **Yoosung☆:** Okay calm down

 **707:** are they having financial problems?

 **Yoosung☆:** They don’t

 **707:** they can sell one of my babies to buy food

 **707:** thatll last for a long time

 **Yoosung☆:** STOP!

 **707:** …

 **Yoosung☆:** Good. Good.

 **Yoosung☆:** I’m at the hospitak with MC right now

 **707:** is she hurt?

 **707:** what’s wrong?

 **Yoosung☆:** SHE isn’t…

 **Yoosung☆:** Zen is

 **707:** …what?

 **707:** is this a trick to make me go back?

 **Yoosung☆:** No it’s not

 **Yoosung☆:** when you were at the airport, Zen went out for a motorcycle ride

 **Yoosung☆:** he was hungover and…

 **707:** what happened?

 **Yoosung☆:** he got in an accident…

 **Yoosung☆:** …please come back

 **Yoosung☆:** even just for a while

 **Yoosung☆:** MC’s not doing anything but cry

 **Yoosung☆:** Zen hasn’t woken up since

 **Yoosung☆:** please

_707 has left the chatroom_

•••

Yoosung sighed when his friend logged out of the chat. He logged out too then looked over to the bed where his other friend laid.

“MC, I’m going out to get food to eat,” he spoke, “You want something?”

The girl staying near the bed shook her head, not saying anything.

“You have to eat, MC. You’ve been here since three in the morning,” Yoosung stated

“I’m not hungry,” MC replied weakly

Yoosung sighed, “Look, I know how you feel, okay? It hurts, I understand, but you have to take care of yourself too.”

“I should’ve been the one who’s here,” MC whispered

“What? MC, no, that’s not-,”

“ _I_ should have been the one who’s in pain,” MC added, “I’m…”

“Stop it, okay? It’s not your fault,” Yoosung responded

MC grabbed Zen’s hand tightly, “I’m sick, Yoosung. And, and Hyun’s been helping me but all I can do is watch.”

•••

**(A/N: Italized are Zen’s, normal are Seven’s)**

_They say that when you’re about to die, your whole life flashes before your eyes. Well, my eyes are closed this time and, if that is true, then my life would be a series of bad decisions, bad people, bad ideas, bad deeds, a bad life in short._

_But out of all the bad ideas I ever had, only one had a good outcome._

_Wearing a hood over my head in a convenience store._

Seven ran as quickly as he could. He could already feel his knees buckle and his breathing hitch. He’d been running for about five minutes already so it was taking a huge toll on him despite being an agent who was so used to running.

But he ran and ran even if his body was yelling at him to stop. He couldn’t stop, not with the guven situation. He had to leave as soon as possible and be there for them before it was too late.

_There were so many things that have gone wrong in my life so I never expected much but this one time, this wonderfully aggressive girl fought with me and won._

_Apparently she won my heart too._

“One ticket back to South Korea at the earliest time possible,” he said abruptly, startling the woman working behind the counter

“Y-Yes,” the woman replied then quickly typed on the keyboard, “The flight would be the day after tomorrow at eight pm, sir.”

“The day after tomorrow?” Seven exclaimed, “Are you sure? There’s no flight _now_ that I can’t board?”

“I’m sorry, sir, but the flight today is full, the same as tomorrow,” the woman responded

“Even if it’s just with the baggage, I’m fine with that,” Seven pointed out

“I’m sorry, sir, I can’t let you do that.”

_Everything good that happened looked like sheer luck. Meeting Rika, being part of the RFA, getting MC…_

_I wish I relished in the good times more than I sulked for the bad times._

Seven sat on the airport floor, focused on his laptop screen. He typed in codes here and there and with a final press of a button, the screen showing the flights turned off. It turned on a second later showing flights that were cancelled. The people quickly went to the counter to reschedule their flights and Seven sighed in relief before booking for a flight to South Korea on that day.

_Then there were those last few moments with Seven. Drunk and wasted and crying in front of my friend as I confessed how difficult everything was for me._

_Was it some sort of karma for all the things I did wrong? I’m not the most superstitious guy but probably, yes. I did make so many things wrong to other people so I guess it was only fair if I’d live the rest of my life miserably._

_“But why did it have to be her? It should’ve been me instead!”_

_I could remember Seven’s words clearly like it was just happening at that moment, “Calm down, Hyun. Abd don’t say that! It’s not even your fault that she’s sick.”_

_I should’ve taken better care of her and of everything else in my life._

_Because the next moment, I see myself riding my motorcycle at top speed, my head hurting like hell. And then there was that truck in front of me._

_Before I knew it, I was off of my bike and on the ground until everything was black._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _GodMod has removed ZEN from the chatroom_


	11. You (Don't) Know Me - 04

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me like a week but wow this chapter has 4660 words and it took some time to convert to html wowie

_“Luciel?”_

_“Yeah, MC?”_

_“Mama and papa have been talking about… moving.”_

_“Moving? You mean going to another place?”_

_“Mhm.”_

_“Oh. Will it be far from here?”_

_“V-Vietnam.”_

_“That’s… pretty far.”_

_“I… know.”_

_“Then how are we going to fulfill our promise?”_

_“We were seven, Luciel.”_

_“Still…”_

_MC stood up from her seat to hug the red head sitting next to her. He placed his forehead on her shoulder, not doing anything else but keep quiet._

_“I understand that you don’t like this happening and I don’t want this too but my mama.” MC cut off with a sigh, “I’m really sorry, Luciel.”_

_Luciel closed his eyes then wrapped his arms around MC, pulling her close to him, “One more promise. Please.”_

_“That is?”_

_“Please promise me that we’ll see each other again. No matter what it takes, we’ll find a way to meet,” Saeyoung responded_

_MC smiled weakly, “Okay. I promise. Now that’s locked up with the other promises.”_

_Luciel chuckled, “We have quite a lot of promises.”_

_“That’s true but where’s the fun in friendship if we’re not going to have promises?” MC pointed out_

_“Good thinking, MC.” Luciel smiled in agreement, “Can I ask one last favor though?”_

_“Okay.”_

_Luciel bit his lip then pulled out of the hug, looking MC in the eye, “Um, I… c-c-can I kiss you?”_

_MC’s brows shot up as she stared at her friend whose face was quickly matching his hair color. She gave him another smile then closed her eyes, “I’ll be waiting.”_

•••

Yoosung entered the hospital room, a plastic bag filled with bread and drinks in his hand. He walked over to MC and offered it to her.

“Hey, MC, Seven and Zen are going to be really upset if you don’t eat,” he spoke as he grabbed a chair and sat down beside her, “I… understand that this is all so painful for you but you can’t let yourself get sick too.”

MC looked at the bag then slowly rummaged for something, finally opting for a piece of bread.

“I know that you won’t feel hungry at a situation like this,” Yoosung said

MC gave him no response.

“I’m concerned though. Since when have you been sick?” Yoosung asked

MC stiffened at the question then turned to look at the blonde, “A really _really_ long time ago.”

•••

_Luciel walked past the crowd to get to the center. He said several “excuse me”s and “sorry”s to get to his destination which, in his perspective, was worth all the effort in the world._

_“MC, I wanna talk,” he spoke as soon as he saw who he was looking for_

_MC turned back to him with a deadpanned expression, “What?”_

_“What do you mean ‘what’? Last month we were just talking normally then for the past weeks you’ve been avoiding me,” Luciel responded_

_“So what if I decide to avoid you?” She raised a brow, “What is it to you?”_

_“You’re my friend, what are you even talking about?” Luciel furrowed his brows_

_“Well I don’t need friends, thank you very much.” MC crossed her arms over her chest, “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have something better to do.”_

_Luciel stomped his foot then stood at the way that MC was walking towards._

_“I won’t let you go,” Luciel stated, “Not this time. You’re moving soon and I can’t waste anymore time.”_

_MC stared at him, both glares stonecold._

_“Why are you avoiding me, MC? Is it because I’m annoying? Is it because I talk about my brother a lot? Tell me so I can change!” Luciel exclaimed, “We’ve been through so many things, MC, now isn’t the time to do this.”_

_Luciel stared her down until MC’s chin started trembling. His expression softened as he reached out to her for a hug._

_“L-Luciel, I’m sorry,” she spoke through tears, “I’m sorry I did this.”_

_Luciel frowned then patted her back, “What’s wrong, MC?”_

_“Nothing’s wrong,” she responded_

_“I’ve known you for years,” Luciel pointed out, “I know when you’re lying and when you’re not.”_

_“M-Mama said that I’m sick,” she answered, “The doctor too. Tha-that’s why we have to leave.”_

_Luciel fell silent and forced himself to speak, “Then you’re going to be fighting for your life. I trust you, MC. And don’t worry, if you ever need help, I’ll still be here. Don’t you ever leave me… ‘kay?”_

_MC sniffed, “O-Okay.”_

•••

_Luciel stood, frowning, as his best friend waved goodbye to all of them. He wanted to go to the airport for one last time to say goodbye but his mother would look for him if he was gone too long. And besides, what if his fatger decided to board a plane that day?_

_So he settled with silently crying there, unsure of whether or not this was their last time to see each other._

_MC ran up to Luciel to give him the biggest and tightest hug they ever shared, “I’m going to miss you the most, Luciel! Please don’t cry!”_

_“How can I not cry?” Luciel asked, “You’re leaving me!”_

_“I’m gonna be back,” MC whispered, “I promise. I’m going to find a way to see you again.”_

_“Okay,” Luciel replied, “Don’t forget about me, okay?”_

_“I won’t. Never.”_

•••

Seven ran through the white hallways, desperately going as fast as he could. He skidded down three curbs, nearly slipped a dozen of times, and tripped thrice but nothing was stopping him. He abruptly opened the door to room 312, catching the attention of the people inside the room. There was a woman who was crying her heart out as a blond guy restrained her from running to the person on the bed who was being revived.

“You promised, Hyun!” He yelled, frustrated that he couldn’t see the man he was yelling at, “You promised that you’d take care of her!”

Seven felt a hand on his shoulder, pulling him away from the doctors. He looked up with teary eyes to see his friend, Jumin, giving him a tired look.

“ _You_ are her best friend,” Jumin spoke, pointing at the woman, “So do you really think that this is the correct time to lash out?”

Seven’s expression softened then slowly made his way to the brunette. The blond let go of her as soon as Seven reached her. They stared at each other for a while, faces smeared with tears, until MC wrapped her arms around him.

“Th-There there, MC,” he whispered as MC buried her face on his chest

“H-H-Hyun,” MC spoke weakly

He patted her back, “I know, I know, but he’s strong, right? He’s-, he _has_ to be.”

•••

_Zen stumbled as Seven helped him get into bed. The red head tucked his drunk friend to bed, aware of the pair of red eyes following his movements._

_“Th-anks, S-haeyoung,” Zen slurred_

_“Don’t call me that,” Seven scolded him_

_Zen pouted, “Why not? Ish your name.”_

_Seven sighed then poked Zen’s forehead, “You’re kinda annoying when you’re drunk and you’re kinda going to regret everything you’re saying in the morning.”_

_Zen laughed as if Seven’s words were the funniest thing on Earth, “Hah, tomo-tomorrow.”_

_“What’s so funny about tomorrow?” Seven asked_

_Zen grinned wide, “You’re not gonna be ‘ere tomorrow. You’re… stu-pid! Tupid!”_

_Seven raised his brows, “How did I become stupid?”_

_“You! Have the bestest bestest beste-.”_

_“Yeah, yeah, bestest bestest bestest,”_

_“Best friend! In the whole entire world! MC is peeeeeerfect!” Zen replied, “Do you know that I sometimes get jealous because MC always talk about you?”_

_“And why would she do that?” Seven asked_

_“Dunno,” Zen replied then yawned, “But listen. Listen, Saeyoung.”_

_Seven nodded, “I’m listening.”_

_Zen chuckled, “No, you’re Saeyoung, you joker.”_

_“But listen,” he repeated then yawned, “tomorrow, you gotta take care of MC for me.”_

_“Haven’t I just told you that_ **_you_** _would be the one to take care of MC?”_

_Zen pondered on this for a moment, “Oh yeah.”_

_Seven smiled weakly, “Go to sleep, Hyun, you’ve had enough beer tonight.”_

_Zen nodded, “Don’t drink and drive, ‘kay, Saeyoung?”_

_“I’m not drunk but okay,” Seven replied_

_Seven waited until the other fell asleep which wasn’t long. He stood up to pick up the beer and PhD Pepper cans strewn around and throw it in the trash. He left the house and went back over to his own home._

•••

MC sat on a bench, staring blankly at the white wall. This felt like it happened before, a feeling that she never actually wanted to feel ever again. It felt dreadful and suffocating and she was sure that the figure that sat beside her felt the exact same thing. She rested her head on his right shoulder, her left hand tangled with his right hand as if it was some sort of comfort for the other. They needed it badly, having lost something so precious in their lives. Both their faces were painted with the aftermath of the pain and the tears.

_Damn it, Zen, before, you felt the same way as I did. Now…_

“I’m sorry for your loss,” the man next to her whispered hoarsely and hesitantly as the words finally struck both of them

“ _I’m_ sorry for _your_ loss,” she shot back at him in the same manner

“I can’t believe I’ll hear those words directed at me,” he told her, eyes glued to the dull wall, “I always thought it would be me who was the loss.”

“Same,” she whispered, “I mean, I’m sick, I’m ready to die any time but, but those words-.”

“If I knew this would happen, I never would’ve left his house,” Seven spoke

“ _If_ you knew this would happen,” she repeated, “But you didn’t. You had no way of knowing. Please don’t blame yourself over this.”

He squeezed her hand then closed his eyes, “What are you gonna do now?”

MC shrugged, “I don’t know. I… guess this is it?”

He frowned, “What do you mean?”

“I mean I’m probably moving back to Vietnam,” she explained, “I’m… this place is going to have a lot of memories.”

“Oh,” Seven replied with a heavy sigh

MC frowned then looked up at him, “I know that reaction. I’ve seen that a thousand times before.”

Seven looked away from her.

“Saeyoung please be here,” she said weakly, “I don’t know how I’m going to push through with this.”

Seven nodded, nuzzling his cheek to her hair and pulling her close, “When did I say that I’m going to leave now?”

MC took a deep breath then wrapped her arms around her friend’s torso, “I don’t want to believe that this is happening.”

Seven pulled her closer, “I don’t want to either.”

“Uh, Seven? MC?”

Seven looked over at the source of the sound and saw their blond friend standing there, a few feet away from them.

“Zen’s… at the morgue now,” he spoke weakly

Seven nodded, eyes getting teary again, “Thanks for all the help, Yoosung.”

The blond nodded then sat next to him, “How are you holding up, MC?”

“Not,” she muttered

“I took a school leave so I’d take care of you,” Yoosung spoke, “And I can’t really function after all this.”

“I really appreciate that,” MC stated, “How are the others?”

Seven ruffled her hair, “You’re not going to worry about the others at a time like this, okay?”

“Seven’s right,” Yoosung agreed, “We’ve all decided to, you know, have a little downtime until, I guess until we settle things. RFA’s never going to be the same after this.”

“But,” Yoosung added, “We’ll still be happy though, right? Maybe not right now, maybe not in a few weeks or months but someday, we’re all gonna be happy with Jumin, Jaehee, and you two.”

The two avoided Yoosung’s gaze.

Yoosung furrowed his brows before frowning, his little hope of having a new beginning with the RFA flickering.

“You two aren’t going to stay, are you?” He asked

“I told you before, it’s for work,” Seven reasoned then sighed heavily, “I need some air.”

MC took this as a sign to let go and let the other one stand and walk away, leaving her and the blond.

•••

Agents weren’t supposed to have feeling or connections. Family was forgotten easily, people they occasionally spent time with were mere faces among the crowd, friends were simple people who just happened to bump into them for a split second, and lovers… lovers were just the people who have met eyes with them. Nothing more, nothing less.

But there was this one peculiar agent who always thought of his twin, would always be on the phone talking to an organization leader, a part of a charity group, had a tight knit of friends, and someone to love. He was the world’s best hacker but the worst agent.

Seven stood in front of the casket being displayed behind the hollow stone where it would be put in just a few minutes. The rain poured heavily outside and everyone were glad that Jumin had ordered people around to rush a grand mauseleum. “For the RFA” he claimed.

“Hyun was never my best friend. He actually despised me for reasons I still do not know. But regardless, I offered him a great future and opportunity to study abroad. I was ready to take him under my wing but he refused.

“He is RFA’s greatest narcissist, he never knows when to shut up about acting, singing, dancing, or his face and I am forever going to feel a bit sad for all the offers he refused,” Jumin spoke as the RFA and Zen’s fans listened to him

“But I’m glad he refused. If he accepted my offer of him working abroad then he may not have pursued his talent and love for acting and he would never make so many people happy with his craft. I’m glad that he made the correct decision. Until his last moments, he took them wirh pride and dignity and he was never less than the man I expected him to be. Farewell, my friend, you will be greatly missed.”

“Zen was the best hyung I could ever have. Jumin was always so busy and it didn’t feel right to call him hyung and Seven’s not the most reliable one around but Zen, even if he didn’t have time to breathe, he would always spare me a few hours in his week if I had problems.

“Sure, some of his advice were pretty much useless and most of the time he would just tell me to go workout and be like him but-.” Yoosung sighed, “But he never actually failed to be there for me whenever I needed him, especially after Rika died. He would help me to his best interests with nothing in return, that’s how much of a great person Zen is.

“And I can’t believe I lost such a great person in my life. I can only imagine the pain MC is feeling right now. I believe that we’re all here today because he showed us that he cared even in little ways. I hope he had a longer time to do that but I guess he’s needed somewhere else. Goodbye, hyung. Don’t worry, I promise I’d take care of what you left behind.”

Jaehee stepped up forward and wiped her nose again on her handkerchief.

“I cannot believe that this day would come so suddenly. I know the feeling of watching Zen’s plays like the majority of you here. It was absolutely amazing whenever there would be a new play and it was a fight to death to get tickets before they were sold out but like with these few people in front, I always saw Zen in a different light. He was not just a musical actor in my eyes. He was this wonderful boyfriend to MC, the kindest friend to everyone of us, a charitable person who never wanted anything in return.

“It pains to see him not here with the rest of the RFA. He would probably standing somewhere next to MC, glorifying her. He was perfect but everything had to have an end. Hyun, you are an inspiration to us all. I hope you didn’t leave so soon because we’ll all truly miss you. Goodbye and until then.”

The RFA’s glances turned to Seven who just stood there silently patting MC’s back. He turned to them then received the message. He replaced Jaehee in front and stared at all the people. There were so many people loving Zen. He had expected the RFA to be in full attendance and that was it. He didn’t even expect Zen’s family to be there because he had lost contact to them years ago and they didn’t even arrive.

“Zen’s, Zen’s last words were ‘Don’t drink and drive’. I thought I’d let you all know that. I honestly don’t know what I’m even doing here but I guess I still have a promise to fulfill to him. I was constantly amused by Zen’s narcissism. Whenever he would talk about himself in the groupchat,” Seven spoke then chuckled, “Honestly why are we even crying? Why are all of us crying? Knowing Zen, he’d hate seeing MC cry or Jaehee or each one of his fans. He must be panicking right now.

“So I’m here to say who Zen was to me, right? Well he was a friend and having friends for me is a really big thing because I can’t. Whenever we would host charity parties, he’d do alll he could to rehearse _and_ help out with the preparations. It was amazing. And what about his monster healing? He was amazing.

“But even more, he was part of my small family. These people with me right now are my family. I’m not even supposed to have one but without me knowing, I had one who cared. And Zen was the older brother who knew what to say at the right moment. I’ve never had an older brother so having him was a blessing. I hope everything made perfect sense to him during the last time we were together. I hope he understands that I’m going to do what he said. And I hope he understands that I’m never going to be the perfect person he trusted but that I’d do _everything_ to keep that promise.”

MC was ushered by Seven to stand in front of everybody, her black glasses covering her blotchy eyes but her tears and hiccups gave her sorrow away.

“I wish I never pushed you away when you first called me ‘babe’ even if I was so annoyed at you. I wish I never wasted all those days avoiding you and rejecting you. I wish I had days back so I could be with you again.” A fresh batch of tears cascaded down her face, “I wish I never got jealous of all those girls at your work. I wish I’d done something different for you. If I’d have known-,”

She placed her handkerchief over her mouth as she faced downwards. She shook her head then sat back where she was before, burying her face in Seven’s shirt. He patted her back solemnly and gave Jumin the go signal. Zen’s casket was slowly being placed inside the horizontal tomb like structure and everyone inside desperately tried to get one last glance before his remains were to be officially closed off.

“I can’t look,” MC whispered

Seven nodded, “I can’t either.”

MC sobbed loudly, “I c-can’t do this!”

Seven placed his forehead on MC’s hair as his own tears fell down from his face, “Don’t worry, we’re here for you.”

•••

Exhausted. That was one of the only words that could describe how MC felt. Exhausted and empty. It had been barely a month since the funeral and she was already inside the airport, patiently waiting for her plane to arrive. Beside her sat someone who was waiting for his plane too. They looked up at the monitors, watching the seconds tick away.

“The plane for the next flight to China is boarding,” an announcemrnt sounded from the speakers

The person sitting next to her stood up and turned to her.

“So I guess this is goodbye,” he spoke

She looked up at him and smiled warmly, “For now.”

“Yeah, for now,” he repeated, “I’ll try to get my job done as quickly as possible.”

“And I’ll get the quickest and most effective way to recovery,” she spoke

He nodded, “I guess it’s a plan.”

She stood up and wrapped her arms around his torso, pulling him close.

“I’m gonna miss you, Saeyoung,” she whispered

“Good miss you too, MC,” he whispered back, “But don’t miss me too much, okay? We’re gonna see each other soon, right? So you better not be sick or anything on the next reunion.”

“Deal,” she spoke, “then goodbye, Saeyoung.”

She broke away from the hug and waved goodbye at him. He waved goodbye before walking away, not looking back for another moment. He was afraid that, if he did look back, he would not want to leave. He loved staying there with her in comfortable silence, just her and her company.

MC smiled weakly as she watched her long time friend blend in to the plethora of people. She dropped her hand to her side then looked down at the ground.

_Another promise._

_Can we really fulfill it this time?_

Seven looked up at the skies then sighed, missing both his twin and his best friend. They made another promise on top of their thousand other promises. Did he really deserve to say that? Was he leading her on that they would somehow get together again?

_I don’t even know if I can go back here._

•••

_“Ah, you’re not fooling me this time, Seven.”_

Seven chuckled, “What are you talking about, Yoosung? I’m here in China! Doing my job, you know?”

_“Liar. Last I heard, your plane boarded early this morning.”_

Seven smiled, “Alright, you got me. Gee you’re not quite the little kid that I left there.”

_“Oh please, Seven. It’s been five years since we last saw you, I most definitely am not the same person.”_

_“And besides, you already missed my high school graduation. Please don’t tell me that you’re missing my doctoral graduation too.”_

“I was at the old house,” Seven replied, “And I’m driving one of my babies. Can you spot which one I’m using?”

_“Oh, someone just arrived. Is that you in the black car?”_

“Black? Guess again,” Seven spoke, “And I don’t own black cars anymore.”

_“No way you’re in the blue car.”_

Seven grinned, “Yes way.”

He turned the loudspeaker off then dropped the call. He placed his phone in his pocket and was greeted by the graduate at the door of his apartment.

“Seven!” Yoosung smiled wide at him

“Yoosung!” Seven grinned as widely

They talked endlessly as if they didn’t Skope call every now and then during Seven’s absence.

“So how’s the RFA holding up?” Seven asked

“Losing two members so suddenly was hard,” Yoosung answered, “But it’s holding up well. We held a Christmas donation drive once.”

“I wish I could’ve been there!” Seven exclaimed

“So how was China?” Yoosung asked

“You know, so and so,” Seven replied then they entered the apartment

“Oh I forgot to tell you, there was someone who helped up with the Chri-.”

“Yoosung, did he arrive yet?”

Seven’s brows shot up at the familiar voice. He looked over the blond’s shoulder then saw a familiar looking face standing there at the hallway.

“MC?” He asked then walked over to her, holding her cheeks, “You’re real!”

MC chuckled, “Of course I’m real.”

He smiled a toothy smile at her, “I haven’t heard from you for so long!”

“No, quite the opposite actually. _We_ haven’t heard from _you_ ,” Yoosung explained, “MC came back about two years ago. She was actually the one who helped with the Christmas drive.”

He stared at her in awe, “You’re really here,” he spoke weakly, “I miss you.”

MC smirked, “You miss me, Saeyoung? Really now?”

He nodded, “Really.”

She nodded too, “Then, I guess it’s time to celebrate Yoosung’s celebration. Jumin picked up this party place that’s just too huge to not have you there.”

“Can we talk? In private?” He asked, voice devoid of any mischief

“Wow you’re kicking me out of my own living room,” Yoosung said as he went to another room

Seven cleared his throat, “How are you?”

She smiled sheepishly, “Fine, I guess. I’m still… missing him.”

“Can’t be helped. Sometimes, I was waiting for my phone to blow up with texts for him. You know, something along the lines of ‘I’m so handsome. Why did God make me so perfect?’.” He responded

MC chuckled lightly in response, “That’s true. I sometimes dream of him too. But, you know, in my dreams, he’s happy and I think that we should all be happy too. It’s been half a decade, we have to move on sometime.”

“I feel the same way,” he replied, “And, MC?”

“Yeah?”

“Can we start over? Not that I hated what we had in the past but, there were just so many unfulfilled promises,” Seven explained

MC nodded, “Fine by me.”

Seven stuck his hand out, “The name’s Saeyoung Choi, but I go by Luciel, or Seven Oh Seven, or Defender of Justice most of the time these days.”

MC shook his hand, “Nice to meet you, Saeyoung. I’m MC.”

“Nice meeting you, MC,” he spoke, “So first order of this friendship, no telling anybody else who I was, you know, church, family, identity, stuff like that.”

MC nodded in agreement, “What identity, Seven? I just met you today.”

“Very good,” Seven spoke then let go of her hand, “Second order, I’m going to do everything to fulfill Zen’s last promise.”

“And that is?”

“Take care of MC,” he spoke seriously then pulled her in for a tight hug, “for Zen.”

MC was silent.

“No matter what it takes, I’ll take care of you so I could finish that last promise and I love you.”

“You what who?” MC’s eyes widened

Seven pulled her away from the hug, the blush on his face obvious, “The what what? I didn’t say anything. I take that back!”

MC grinned but a light tint of pink dusted her cheeks, “You said it, Seven. Say it again.”

“I-I-I didn’t! I said that I’m going to take care of you because Zen made me do it,” he answered

She crossed her arms.

“Fine! Fine gosh if it’ll stop your whining.” He rolled his eyes, “I love you, MC, okay? I have been loving you. Since we were kids. But you left and-. Don’t make that face!”

Seven looked away, his face reddening even more, “I’m totally not, not, you know? In love you with or any-, in love with you or anything. Definitely-.” He breathed out a breath of relief, “That turned out to be easier than I thought.”

MC smiled at him, “I can’t say that I love you too right now, right at this very moment, but I’d surely love to hear myself say that in the near future so let’s make it work.”

He turned back to her, reading her happy expression, “You sure? No backing out now.”

“No backing out now.” She giggled, “ _My_ first order is that I promise that someday, someday I’m going to love you the same as you love me. And we’ll be together forever.”

“Sounds cheesy enough,” he stated, “It’s a deal! Just, just keep it low with the other RFA members about the past me, okay? I mean that. We have a lot more stories to go through.”

MC raised a brow, “A lot more what?”

“Haha, yeah. Yoosung! Let’s go! I know you’ve been listening. You’re gonna be late to your own graduation.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _GodMod has added the **RFA** to the chatroom  Stood Up_
> 
>  
> 
> PREVIEW:
> 
> "Hi, I'm MC, your waitress and we noticed that you've been here for two hours and I think you're stood up by your date and-, shut your _face_ , you're Jumin Han!"


	12. You (Don't) Know Me - After Ending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaaaaAAAAAAAHHHHHHH OUR FIRST EVENT IS FINALLY OVER AND I HAVE TIME AAAAAAHHHHHHH
> 
> So. For the past month of so I've disappeared completely but don't worry, I didn't abandon the ideas just yet! I love this collection too much to do so sooooo continuing this!!! Anyways, the after endings series will be postponed for a while (until I have enough motivation to write Jumin's and Zen's) because I HATE giving half-hearted chapters. It makes me feel less of a writer if I give you something completely under prepared so for the meantime, I'll be uploading what remained for what I wrote during summer (this and Saeran's) AND starting the second batch of What If prompts! Yaaaaay!

Yoosung went through his mail as he walked his way back to his apartment. He found a white square envelope, in the middle of the bills, coming from Seven and MC. He entered the apartment then closed the door behind him.

He placed the bills down an a table then opened the letter coming from Seven and MC.

_Luciel and MC invites you to the biggest costume party of all time._

_Want to be a fairy? Go ahead! Want to be a hero? Your choice!_

_Date: May 17, 2017_ _Time: 10:30am_ _Venue: Samcheonggak_

Yoosung raised a brow at it. It wasn’t often that the three year long couple would go outside, moreso have a huge event. But maybe they had a change of heart? And besides, a costume party seemed cool. Maybe they were finally revealing to everyone that they were together?

He quickly grabbed his phone, dialing the number that never went off.

_“Hello, Seven here.”_

“What’s with the costume party?” Yoosung asked, re-reading the words on the invitation

There was a chuckle from the other side of the phone.

_“So you received the invitation already? That took long. We sent it out last week.”_

“Yeah so you’re really having a party out of the blue?” Yoosung questioned, “This seems suspicious. Who else.are invited?”

_“Just the RFA and some of MC’s friends. MC’s family couldn’t attend because they’re not here.”_

“But why? I mean, why’d you suddenly decide that it was good to have a costume party,” Yoosung pointed out

_“Well, we wanted to have a get together and we have a special announcement to make.”_

“Really?” Yoosung smiled, “What is it?”

_“It’s a secret.”_

“So the event is small but the venue’s pretty big,” Yoosung spoke, “I mean, the RFA only has four members.”

_“Five if you count V. He called earlier this week to tell us he’ll come.”_

“And the others?” Yoosung asked

_“Haven’t confirmed yet. I’m getting a call from my maid but I need to know, are you going or not?”_

“’Course I will. There’s a special announcement after all. Who knows, maybe you proposed to her or something,” Yoosung said which made Seven laugh

_“You and your jokes. I’m gonna have to hang up now. ‘Kay, bye, don’t let your patients bite.”_

Yoosung ended the call then went towards his closet. If there was someone who would rock costumes, it would be Yoosung Kim and there was no way rich kid Jumin would outshine him.

•••

MC was lounging at the couch, going through a magazine when she had received a call. She accepted the call after seeing who it was.

“Hey, Jumin,” she greeted, “What’s up?”

_“Costume party?”_

“Oh yeah, it was Seven’s idea,” she responded, “Hope you’d be able to come.”

_“Why a costume party?”_

“Well, we wanted to mix things up a little bit,” she answered, “It isn’t like us to be completely in the norm after all.”

_“So… can Elizabeth come with me?”_

“Of course, Seven would be delighted to see her there,” MC replied, “You can even give her a costume.”

_“Can I go as a CEO then?”_

MC chuckled lightly, “Jumin, the point of a costume party is to not be yourself.”

_“I’m not a CEO,”_

MC shook her head, “You’ve never been to a costume party, haven’t you?”

_“All the ones I have attended are formal parties.”_

“What about Halloween? Surely you and V dressed up when you were children,” MC pointed out

_“He went as a photographer and I went as a businessman.”_

MC laughed out loud, “Seriously?”

_“I was, of course, joking. Thank you for appreciating my joke.”_

“Of course you were,” MC stated, “You’d want to dress not so much like yourself though. You can be anything you want, you can even dress as a cat and no one would bat an eye.”

 _“Hmm, I_ would _look good as a cat.”_

“Sure,” MC replied

_“So then can Elizabeth dress up as a human?”_

“This sounds oddly familiar,” MC muttered, “But you can. No boundaries here.”

_“Can you make sure that Luciel isn’t wearing a cat outfit too?”_

“We already got ours and I can assure you that it’s far from being a cat,” MC replied

_“Thank you, MC. I must go call my tailor to provide me a costume.”_

“Ooh. Fancy. Okay, see you then, Jumin,” MC said before ending the call

“Jumin, babe?” Seven asked as he entered the room

“Yep, he asked what he could dress up as,” MC answered

“Will he bring Elly with him?” Seven questioned as he sat down next to MC, hugging her close to his body

“She’s even going to dress up,” MC supplied, “Seems like it’ll be a perfect day then.”

Seven pouted, “But I only wanna look at you then.”

MC put her magazine down to wrap her arms around Seven, “Saeyoung, whatever attention you could give me then, I’m fine with it.”

“Such a bummer that your parents couldn’t make it,” Seven muttered

MC sighed, “Yeah but we really can’t afford to pay for all the flights.”

“I can buy the tickets for them,” Seven pointed out

“And for the hundredth time, no thank you,” MC replied, “They said it’s fine and they’ll make it up some other time. They won’t be too happy if they find out who paid for the tickets.”

Seven nodded, dropping the topic.

“Would he be happy if he sees us?” Seven whispered

MC shrugged, “Maybe. I mean, he made you promise to protect me and that’s all you’ve been doing.”

“Yeah but you are his,” he replied, “It’s… Zen’s kinda irreplaceable and I’m just so-so.”

“Hey.” MC booped the tip of his nose, “Who said you can say those stuff about yourself? If he’d been here, he would be super happy that his friend is doing things to make himself happy.”

“Hyun’s overworked and you’re overworked and you two seriously have to know how to relax and be happy,” she continued, “And if this is your way of being so, then I don’t think he’d be against it. Hyun’s a nice guy, especially towards his friends.”

“I won’t try to be like him then,” Seven murmured, “I have to protect you my whole life. I’m not even going to try and make you love me more. He deserves all your love.”

MC smiled weakly, “I love Hyun, really, but I love you too, lucky number.”

Seven glared at her, “Who gave you the right to call me that? Don’t call me that!”

MC chuckled, “I’ll call you any name I want until you stop making yourself feel like I don’t love you.”

Seven nuzzled his head to MC’s neck. He breathed in deeply then smiled.

“Okay,” he responded, “Don’t call me lucky number ever again.”

•••

Yoosung arrivrd at the location written in the invitation. He saw many other people wearing varying types of costumes and he guessed that they were MC’s friends. He walked in and took a detour to the restroom, making sure that his costume was still intact.

He looked at himself in the mirror and checked the face paint he had done. He made himself look completely like his male LOLOL avatar from head to toe so there was a lot of armor and face painting going on. He even styled his hair like how it was, thankful that he didn’t choose an absurd hair color but blond.

He still had no clue why MC and Seven would just suddenly throw a costume party, in the middle of the day nonetheless, but he didn’t question it. Something inside told him that they had a very special announcement to make as a level up in their relationship.

Meanwhile outside, Jumin and his assistant had already arrived in Jumin’ car.

Jumin wore a white cat onesie made with faux fur. The onesie was handmade by an Italian designer and was shipped to Korea just a few days ago to be dry cleaned. In his arms was Elizabeth the 3rd wearing a pink gown with rubies all over the bodice and a silver tiara encrusted with pink jewels.

Jaehee wore a light brown dress with white cloth all over her shoulders and clavicles, imitating a Moonbucks frappe, and a long green “straw” sticking out from the top of her head.

The pair made their way to the area where most people were going. They had arrived at the table where Yoosung sat, a piece of paper with the word “RFA” writted on it placed at the center of the table.

“Jumin,” Yoosung started with a chuckle, “If Zen were here, he’d either be laughing or sneezing a lot.”

Jumin rolled his eyes, “I thought about dressing like a CEO but MC told me that I should be something else.”

“A CEO?” Jaehee asked, “That was what you thought of when you think costume?”

“I don’t have a wide array of selection,” Jumin replied, “I was told that Jihyun will be here.”

“I haven’t seen him yet though,” Yoosung said

“Maybe he’ll be late,” Jaehee replied before spotting their topic in a tuxedo, walking towards them

“You all look nice,” he spoke with a small smile on his face

“And what are you supposed to be?” Jumin asked

“The bride’s father,” he replied, “MC’s parents couldn’t come here so they asked me to walk her down the aisle.”

“What are you talking about?” Yoosung questioned, “This is a costume party.”

V laughed weakly, “So that’s what they said about a surprise. No, they’re actually getting married today.”

“What?” Yoosung yelled before MC came striding in a white fitted tuxedo

She stood by the table near the old man dressed like a priest. V furrowed his brows when they all saw MC.

He made his way over to her and asked, “I thought I was walking you down the aisle.”

“No, we said you’d walk the bride down the aisle,” MC responded, “Saeyoung’s waiting. Please make sure he won’t do anything embarassing.”

V nodded with a short laugh, “The people look nice, don’t they?”

“I definitely do not regret it,” MC responded before V went off to find the actual bride

He saw Seven standing at the door wearing a huge and puffy white dress.

“This doesn’t make me look fat, right?” Seven asked, “Oh who am I kidding? I look great!”

V nodded in agreement, “You look great.”

Seven played with the tips of his red wig, “You think MC really loves me? I think she loves Zen.”

V pulled Seven in for a hug, “Saeyoung, she’s one of the people eho have known you since you were a child. You two have been through so much. Can you give yourself a break? You’re getting married to MC today and I don’t see her backing out. She _does_ love you.”

“If you say so,” Seven replied then intertwined V’s arm with his, “Let’s go! Can’t keep my groom waiting!”

He and V entered the area where everyone else were and were flabbergasted at the sight of Seven wearing a bridal gown and a wig. All the people in the room knew him so it was a new feat to MC’s friends but to the RFA, it was a what the heck moment.

Seven arrived at where MC was, both of them giving the other a sweet smile.

The ceremony started, the others quieting down but the RFA still had harsh whispers to each ohers.

“It is time for the vows,” the priest announced shortly after

The couple turned to each other and MC grabbed the microphone in one hand, Seven’s hand in the other.

“All my life, I never thought that I won’t be wearing white on my wedding day,” MC started, “Well, I’m wearing a white suit but you get what I mean. I thought I’d be going down the aisle in a beautiful white gown with my parents beside me but I got to meet this very special guy that made me realize that being different isn’t such a bad thing.”

“Never once had I guessed that I’d already meet the man I was supposed to marry at fourteen years old. We weren’t childhood sweethearts but you were my first kiss and you will be the last. I…” MC met Seven’s eyes, “I know that you’re still a bit doubtful, I can feel it, Seven, but trust me on this. There is nothing on this world that can replace my love for you. I may have broken our promises before, I may have had dated people before you but you’re my true end. You’re the one and only person that will complete me now so let me be the one to make you feel complete.”

Seven laughed weakly at MC, “Your vows are so cheesy.”

This gained a chuckle from the crowd.

“But I like it. I like you. Wow that was so embarrassing to say,” he continued, squeezing her hand tighter, “But rest assured, I do love you back. You’ve earned my trust, such an amazing feat, MC. You’re amazing and you look stunning by the way.”

“Okay, I’ll be serious now,” he continued, “I know that if it wasn’t for his death, I wouldn’t be here with you. I’ll probably be watching this with the rest of the RFA. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to complete Zen’s last promise, I-.” He paused wiping a tear from his eye, “Oh no, I’m crying! I spent hours on the eyeliner.”

MC giggled then pulled the handkerchief from her pocket, wiping his tears away, “I’m ready, babe.”

Seven pulled MC in for a hug, “I… I can’t believe I’m marrying the girl I’ve loved for years. I still can’t believe this, MC. I promise to keep you safe and well. Someday, when we have our kids, I’m gonna try a-and be a great father. I may not have had the best family growing up but believe me when I say this, I made the bestest best friend anyone could ever have back then. And I’m so glad that she’s with me today.”

The hug tightened and MC could feel the light hiccups that Seven was making, “I love you so much that I can’t explain it. It hurts when you’re away and I just want to hold you in my arms forever. Let’s make it that way. Please.”

MC patted his back and whispered, “I promise, babe. I promise. Now, are you ready for the space station wedding?”

“Hell yes!”


	13. Stood Up - 01

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hi, I’m MC and I know that you’re really confused right now but this is our restaurant’s protocol,” 
> 
> “You see, if one of our customers get stood up, the person who’s in charge of that table should save the customer from humiliation so I’m here and your name is?”
> 
> "Han Jumin. That's my name."
> 
> "Shut your face! _The_ Han Jumin?!"

You sighed in exhaustion. The people outside were completely demanding, water here, a bottle of wine there, a menu for the huge family, and, oh, the family who decided to bring their baby spilled water on the floor. And did I mention the couple who decided to make a scene with the woman walking out and the guy following her _without paying their bill_?

_Chaotic. People are absolute chaotic._

You couldn’t believe that it was a four star restaurant that you worked for. Were these things even possible for such a refined place?

“Hang in there, MC, shift’s almost over,” your co-worker told you, patting your back

“Yeah, thank goodness.” You sighed a breath of relief

You walked over to the pending orders of the tables that you were waiting and grabbed the plates one by one.

“Did you see that man on table 19? He’s been there since six thirty,” a waitress spoke

You raised your brow, “Table 19? That’s my table.”

“MC, it’s been two hours and he’s still there,” her co-worker told her

Your eyes widened, “Oh you’re not implying that.”

The co-worker nodded, “I’m exactly implying that. Now go on, clock out.”

You sighed then put down the plates in your tray. You walked over to the employees’ break room then quickly changed into a dress. You pulled your hair down from its ponytail and ran a comb through it. You checked your make up at the mirror and saw that it was still intact albeit not being the freshest thing in the pantry. You shrugged it off then grabbed your phone and wallet from your backpack, the rest of your things could manage until tomorrow.

You set off outside and walked as if you just came from the restroom. You gave one of the waiters the hand signal that you were doing your job.

You walked over to the table with the lone man wearing a suit then sat down immediately before he could retort.

“Hi, I’m MC and I know that you’re really confused right now but this is our restaurant’s protocol,” you started, “You see, if one of our customers get stood up, the person who’s in charge of that table should save the customer from humiliation so I’m here and your name is?”

The man raised a brow at you, “Humiliation?”

“Well, yeah,” you replied, “You’ve been here for two hours and you already finished a bottle of our most expensive wine.”

“You’re a waitress here, correct?” He asked

You nodded.

“Then get me another bottle of that, The oldest one you have,” he replied

“No can do. I’m on standard protocol and that says that I’m not a waitress right now but a saver,” you responded, “You can eat though and I’ll take my crew break here, does that sound good?”

He sighed but nodded. You two gave your orders, well he gave his orders while you got what the other employees ate, and the food was served in five minutes flat.

“You know, I’ve never seen you here before,” you started, catching his attention, “But you look like someone who would spend a lot of time here.”

“I… don’t quite understand,” he responded

“I mean, you’re like our other customers, maybe richer than them,” you explained, “And I’ve never seen you here, ever.”

He raised a brow, “Is that so? Then why are you remembering people based on money?”

You shrugged, “When you work at a four star restaurant full time during the dinner hours, you’re _bound_ to notice that.”

“What else do you notice about me then?” He asked

You watched as his professionally trimmed hair move just perfectly with his every movement, his slanted gray eyes that bore into your eyes as he waited for your response, and his jaw, was he sculpted by those Greek long ago?

You blinked once then focused on his eyes again to keep yourself from getting flustered, “I notice that even if you look rich by the way you dress and do things, you don’t go spending too much on just one meal. That you’re not much of a splurger and not as showy like the others are.”

He nodded contently with the response you gave, “I guess I am.”

“But,” you quickly added, “you are willing to pay so much for a bottle of wine.” You gestured to the new bottle of wine sitting at the table

“Wine _is_ expensive,” he replied, “And if I wanted only the best then I would have to pay as much.”

You smiled, “Well that’s not wrong.”

“You’re the waitress here, correct? What wine would you suggest as a gift?” He asked

“There’s the Chenin Blanc, Chappellet 2014 that never dies,” you suggested, “But I mean, it would still depend on the person’s taste and preference.”

He looked satisfied with your answer, “I agree. I have tasted that and I still have at least two bottles at home.”

“Then you have good tastes.” You smiled

“Do you drink?” He asked

You nodded, “In moderation that is.”

“Anyways.” He cleared his throat, “What is ‘stood up’?”

You raised your brow, “It means that your date cancelled without telling you.”

You tilted your head to the right as you studied his features again. _Nice specimen. I can’t believe a guy with that face would be rejected._

You took another bite from your meal. _Does he have a bad attitude then? Or is he a serial killer?_

His action of filling your glass third of the way with the wine caught your attention.

You looked back over to him and shook your head, “No, no, it’s fine.”

“I insist,” he replied then looked at his watch, “It’s past your working hours, is it not?”

You looked at your phone to check the time, “Oh yeah.”

“Well this is my payment to your overtime,” he replied, “And I will be bringing you home an-.”

“Excuse me what?” You interrupted

“No you misunderstood. I was to bring you to your home,” he explained, “I’m sorry that you misinterpreted that.”

You tamed your growing blush. For a moment there you thought you were going to be taken out.

You shook your head violently.

_No inappropriate thought. No. Inappropriate. Thoughts._

“You don’t have to do that,” you spoke

“Again, I insist,” he replied, “It would be a shame that I made a lady stay out late and I wouldn’t repay her.”

You nodded to end the discussion but you couldn’t take your eyes off him. Something felt familiar about him but you couldn’t put your finger on it. It was like you already saw him before.

_That can’t be right, though._

“I didn’t quite catch your name,” you stated then took a sip from the wine he offered

“Han Jumin,” he replied, “That’s my name.”

_Oh so that’s why he looked fami-._

You pulled the glass away from your lips, “Did you just say Han Jumin?”

“Yes.”

“Shut your face! _The_ Han Jumin?” You exclaimed, getting overwhelmed at the thought that you were having dinner with the one and only Jumin Han of the C &R International

“Yes, I thought we made that clear already,” he spoke

You sat straight, suddenly conscious at the person you were with. You just saved Jumin Han from staying too long because of his date who-.

“Who would even stand _you_ up?” You blurted out before you could stop yourself

He just stared at you for a second before placing his utensils down.

“I’m finished. Shall I get the bill?” He asked

You nodded before pursing your lips into a thin line. The question was… intrusive, and you really shouldn’t have asked.

After paying, he ushered you out and to his car. The two of you sat side by side at the backseat and you told his driver the way home. The driver stopped in front of your house and you turned to Jumin before going down the vehicle.

“Thank you for bringing me home,” you spoke

He looked at you, “MC, was it? I apologize, I couldn’t give you your tip earlier. I didn’t have cash”

You shook your head no, “No, no, it’s fine. No worries. I’m gonna go now.”

He nodded.

You smiled at him, “It was nice meeting you.”

“I feel the same,” he replied

You got down and watched as the car went away. You sighed to yourself and entered the house.

“Honey, I’m home!” You called as you flipped the lights on

You could hear the pair of feet going down the staircase as you grabbed yourself a glass of water. You turned around and saw the little brunet boy standing there, giving you a toothy grin, showing the missing tooth in the middle.

“How was school today?” You asked as you gave him a hug

“I got three stars today, mama!” He replied, showing you the purple stars on his right forearm

You looked at it and gave him a kiss on his forehead, “That is so great, honey!”

•••

Jumin sat down on his couch and Elizabeth the 3rd went over to his lap. He petted the cat with his left hand and used his phone on the right.

_Jaehee Kang has entered the chatroom_

**707:** I have a story to tell!

 **707:** so I was out buying dinner

 **707:** and then the light turned red

 **707:** i looked at the right then BAM

 **Yoosung☆:** What happened?

 **707:** I saw Jumin with his

 **707:** DATE

_Jumin Han has entered the chatroom_

**707:** The man of the hour!

 **Jumin Han:** What are you talking about?

 **Yoosung☆:** Is it true that you went on a date?

 **Jaehee Kang:** Mr Han, is it true that you went on a date?

 **707:** I saw the woman

 **707:** Jumin, she’s pretty

 **Jaehee Kang:** Mr Han, you had a meeting scheduled tonight,

 **Jaehee Kang:** why did you go on a date?

 **Jumin Han:** Will you all just let me explain?

_Yoosung☆ has left the chatroom_

**Jumin Han:** I was not on a date.

 **Jumin Han:** That woman was the waitress who thought that I was “stood up”.

 **Jumin Han:** It was the protocol for the employees.

 **707:** oh so you werent on a date with her?

 **707:** u should though

 **707:** she’s really pretty♡

 **Jumin Han:** I have no intentions of dating someone I barely know.

 **707:** but isnt that the point?

 **707:** u date to get to know someone?

_ZEN has entered the chatroom_

**ZEN:** Hey

 **707:** hey hey

 **Jaehee Kang:** Good evening, Zen.

 **Jumin Han:** Hello.

 **ZEN:** Haha Trustfund kid dating?

 **ZEN:** Highly unlikely.

 **Jumin Han:** Tell the winery owner that I will not entertain any more meeting schedules from them unless I am the one who schedules.

 **Jaehee Kang:** Noted.

 **ZEN:** It makes sense that you would be stood up

 **707:** lololol that was rude

 **707:** _I_ won’t do that to Jumin

 **Jumin Han:** And I have no intention to date you either.

 **707:** that breaks my heart

 **Jumin Han:** Assistant Kang, reserve a table for one at the same restaurant for tomorrow.

 **Jaehee Kang:** You can walk in, Mr Han.

 **707:** i sense that you’re interested to her

 **707:** This will be a really good start of a romantic comedy lololol

 **Jumin Han:** …

 **Jumin Han:** I love the wine that they serve there.

 **ZEN:** Hey, wine’s not the only thing on the menu and that’s not a bar

 **Jumin Han:** Then where do you suppose I can drink?

 **ZEN:** At home. Not in a fancy restaurant where every waiter is panicking

 **Jumin Han:** If I say that I would want to see MC again, will you not mind me and my thoughts?

 **ZEN:** That doesn’t even make sense

 **Jumin Han:** Shut your face!

 **ZEN:** _Excuse me, what?!_

 **Jaehee Kang:** Mr Han?

 **Jumin Han:** MC told me that earlier. I thought it was a commoner’s way of silencing someone.

 **707:** lololol I like your new vocabulary

 **707:** Now say “Elly should be with God Seven”

 **707:** It’s a commoner’s way of saying

 **707:** “Zen should shut up”

 **Jumin Han:** **No.**

 **Jumin Han:** I am tired.

 **Jumin Han:** I will go now.

_Jumin Han has left the chatroom_

**ZEN:** Hey, Seven

 **707:** ya?

 **ZEN:** What did you say about me shutting up?

 **707:** This user is now in outer space

 **707:** Beep beep beep

_707 has left the chatroom_

•••

“And then do you know what the nice man said?” You asked as you watched your five year old yawn

“What did he say?” He asked, eyes filled with wonder and sleepiness

“He said, ‘I will offer to take you to your home’,” you responded, “And then his driver drove us here and I said goodbye.”

“He is really nice to do that, mama,” the boy replied

You nodded, “That’s why you have to be good too, okay? But there will be bad people like the one who didn’t show up to their dinner.”

“Why would anyone do that to a kind man, mama?” He asked

You shrugged, “There are many reasons why anyone would do that, honey, but for tonight, you’re gonna be mama’s little boy who won’t leave me alone.”

He nodded, “Yes. Good night, mama.”

“Good night, honey.” You placed a kiss on his forehead before you turned the lamp off

•••

Jumin walked in to the restaurant and sat on his designated seat. He waited for the one person he was looking for. Afterall, he promised that he would give her the tip that he never got around to give the night before.

A waitress walked over to him and gave him the menu but before the woman could leave, he had already asked her something.

“Does an MC work here?” He asked

The woman nodded, “Yes there is but if you want to talk to her today, you can’t.”

He raised a brow, “Why not? I’ve come to give her something she forgot.”

“MC didn’t go to work today,” the woman explained, “She’s in the hospital and has taken a leave for about a week.”

“Oh, is that so?” He asked then took a look at the menu, “Do you happen to know which hospital?”


	14. Stood Up - 02

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha omg I'm loving the third chapter (which is halfway done) already!!! From the descriptions to the dialogue and the characters haha I just love it~

_That same night, you woke up to the sound of your son shivering under the covers. You turned the lamp beside you on and looked over at him. He was covered in the blankets but was still shaking as if he was in the Arctic. You placed a hand over his forehead and felt that it was searing hot._

_“Mama, I’m cold,” he muttered then shoved half his face under the covers_

_“You’re burning up,” you pointed out then grabbed your phone to call for an ambulance_

•••

You sat down on the bench for the payments of bills. You were there with several other people, waiting for their turn to pay to the hospital. You yawned for the fifth time that hour seeing as you hadn’t gotten any sleep since your son got admitted. Meanwhile, he had finally stopped shivering, after many hours and blankets, but his temperature was slowly going down.

 _“We will have to keep him here,”_ the doctor told you and you didn’t counter his orders

If it was for the best then you would give it. Even if it cost you two months of savings.

You had chosen the cheapest yet still with good quality hospital to put your son in. You wanted to put him in a better one but your wallet wasn’t having it. Afterall, you _still_ had to pay for the unpaid food that that darn couple left you yesterday.

 _It’s even in hundreds._ You thought to yourself as you inwardly cursed them

You heard your number being called and you went up to the counter to pay your balance. The interaction was less than five minutes but you felt like you were robbed a million won. You made your way to the room of your son when you saw someone waiting outside the room.

You raised a brow at the man who was so busy reading the name next to the door that he didn’t notice you.

“It’s Baekju,” you read for him

He turned towards you then his face lit up with recognition.

“I was told that you were at the hospital,” he said, “But I didn’t know that it wasn’t you who was admitted.”

You gave a small smile, “It’s actually my son.”

He closed his mouth even if he looked like he wanted to say something. You offered him to enter the room and he accepted. You gave him your seat then walked over to your son, checking his temperature.

“If it’s alright with you, can I ask what happened?” He asked

“I don’t know yet,” you answered, “I brought him here last night because he had high fever but he’s still sick until now.”

“I don’t quite know what I’ll call you,” you spoke, “Should I call you Mr Han or Jumin or whatever?”

“Jumin would be nice,” he responded, “You’re not exactly a business partner or an employee to call me formally.”

You nodded in understanding. You watched as Baekju slowly open his eyes.

You gave him a small smile and said, “Hey there, little buddy, how are you feeling?”

“It’s really hot,” he whispered hoarsely

You removed the blankets from his body and put it at the feet of the bed.

“Will one blanket do?” You asked and he nodded

You turned to your visitor and spoke, “Uh, I’m out of food right now and I have to offer you something. Can you keep an eye on Baekju for a while?”

He stared at you then nodded. You left the room and went down to the cafeteria.

Baekju turned to the visitor then smiled weakly, “I don’t know who you are but mama knows you. Are you a friend?”

“A friend?” He asked, “I can be an acquaintance but-,” he stopped himself, “Yes, I am a friend.”

“Oh, are you the nice guy from last night? The one who drove mama home?” He asked

Jumin dragged the chair over to the side of the bed, “It’s actually my driver who drove her home but I was the one who insisted.”

“You have a driver? That’s cool,” Baekju stated, “I wanna have a driver too when I grow up.”

“That’s not far from happening,” Jumin said, “You only need a car and money for gas and driver.”

“Mama says that I get money from work and I get work from studying well,” he pointed out

“True,” Jumin replied

“Ahjussi, what’s your work?” Baekju asked

“I’m a Director at C&R,” he answered

“Ooh! Those people from movies! The one who yells ‘Cut!’. Like that?” Baekju asked, smile wide, “Do you see a lot of celebrities?”

“Well, I see a lot of celebrities but I don’t do that. I manage people and we do products to sell,” Jumin explained

“Oh that is cool too,” Baekju nodded

“Baekju, can I ask a question?” Jumin spoke

“You already did, ahjussi.” Baekju chuckled

“I have another question then,” Jumin continued, “Why is it that only your mother is here? Where’s your father?”

The boy frowned, “Oh, um,”

The door swung open and you entered, plastic bags in your hand, “I’m back.”

The two turned towards you and you placed down the food on the table.

“I forgot to ask you what you wanted to eat so I just got burgers,” you spoke

“No, I have to get going,” Jumin said

You turned to him and saw him fixing the button on his cuff.

“My assistant has been looking for me so I should leave now,” he continued

You nodded then brought him outside, “I’m honored that you went to visit.”

“You actually just beat me to the counter,” he responded, “I was going to pay the bill but-,”

“Why?” You interrupted

“Remember last night when I didn’t give you your tip?” He asked, “I am willing enough to pay you in other terms.”

“It’s fine, you don’t have to do that,” you stated

He stared at you for a moment before speaking again, “You’re one of the few people who refuse my money. Why is that?”

You shrugged, “I was just working so you’re not actually indebted to me in any way.”

“Are you sure?” He asked, “Because I am willing enough to open the opportunity until you will need it.”

He grabbed his phone out of his pocket then gave it to her, “I don’t have a business card right now but if you put your number on my phone, I will make sure that you will get my number.”

You nodded then inserted your number in his contacts. You gave it back as soon as you were finished. He left afterwards and you went back inside the hospital room.

“Wanna eat, honey?” You asked as you rummaged through the plastic for some soft biscuits for Baekju

•••

Jaehee stretched in her seat as she watched her monitor finally shut down after long hours of work. She grabbed all her things and unplugged her computer before going to the elevator. The floor was already deserted and she was the last one to leave. It was already nearing midnight and she still had a load of work to do at home but at least then she could have a cup of coffee or a bed to lie down on while reading documents.

She removed her glasses and put it in her bag before calling for a taxi. She told the driver her address and pulled out her phone from her bag, instantly logging in to the messenger.

_Jaehee Kang has entered the chatroom_

**Yoosung☆:** Hi Jaehee

 **Jaehee Kang:** Hello.

 **707:** Are you aware of what Jumin did?

 **Jaehee Kang:** ?

 **Jaehee Kang:** I was aware that he had dinner at a restaurant and that he went home immediately.

 **707:** lololol no not that

 **707:** read the messages above

Jaehee did so and there were some sort of shocking revelations coming from her boss. She wasn’t sure if it was exhaustion that made her see this but it cannot possibly be true.

 **Jaehee Kang:** He has a girl’s number?

 **Jaehee Kang:** Is that really Mr Han though?

_ZEN has entered the chatroom_

**ZEN:** Oh good the trustfund kid left

Jaehee remembered reading about a short argument between Zen and Jumin that night so it made sense that Zen had just re-entered the chatroom after avoiding the other.

 **ZEN:** Oh hey Jaehee

 **ZEN:** You guys grabbed dinner already?

Jaehee frowned.

 **Jaehee Kang:** Oh, right, dinner…

 **Yoosung☆:** What’s wrong?

 **Jaehee Kang:** I forgot to eat.

 **707:** lol Jaehee u shouldnt forget to eat

 **707:** don’t worry

 **707:** i’m coming over to cook something for you

 **ZEN:** Like you cook food

 **707:** hey,

 **707:** u guys should really read “1001 ways to make Honey Buddha Chips a dish for dinner”

 **Yoosung☆:** …that was specific

 **ZEN:** You should really eat, Jaehee

 **Jaehee Kang:** Don’t worry, Zen, I have some leftovers I can heat up at home.

 **ZEN:** At home? You mean you’re not home yet?

Jaehee peered out the window.

 **Jaehee Kang:** I am a few blocks away.

 **Yoosung☆:** is that what I have to do if I work at Jumin’s company?

 **707:** ya lolol

 **707:** u don’t get to sleep

 **707:** u don’t get to eat

 **707:** u don’t get to talk to your friends

 **707:** u won’t have friends

 **707:** and u can’t ever

 **707:** play LOLOL again

 **ZEN:** What a nice way of motivating Yoosung

 **707:** ^^

 **Yoosung☆:** T_T

 **707:** don’t worry

 **707:** when u die u can hug your money

 **Yoosung☆:** Money’s worthless if you die!

 **Jaehee Kang:** You just have to get used to the work, Yoosung.

 **Jaehee Kang:** And do not get working advice from Luciel,

 **Jaehee Kang:** I’m pretty sure he slacks off the whole day.

 **707:** hey

 **707:** i save the day on a daily basis

 **707:** also my boss is calling

 **ZEN:** At midnight?

 **707:** justice has no sleeping hours!

 **707:** 707 out!

_707 has left the chatroom_

Jaehee paid the driver and got off the taxi. She entered her house and immediately directed herself to her fridge, pulling out two tupperwares: one with the kimchi and one with the rice. She put it in the microwave and sat in her dining area, eyes and hands focused on her phone.

 **Jaehee Kang:** I have arrived home.

 **Yoosung☆:** Jaehee you have to be careful

 **Yoosung☆:** it’s not okay to be out this late

 **ZEN:** What Yoosung said

 **Jaehee Kang:** I appreciate the concern but I do not want to make my house my second office.

 **ZEN:** Just tell him to lessen your workload

 **ZEN:** Oi, Trustfund kid. When you read this, make sure to give Jaehee a break

 **ZEN:** I know you’re happy about getting a girl’s number but your employees should have lives too!

 **Jaehee Kang:** Do not worry, Zen. I can handle it well.

 **Yoosung☆:** what happens when you get sick?

 **Jaehee Kang:** The workload for that day is transferred to the next.

 **Yoosung☆:** i change my mind

 **Yoosung☆:** i don’t wanna work

 **Yoosung☆:** i wanna stay a student

 **Jaehee Kang:** The life of a worker is deadly.

 **ZEN:** True

 **ZEN:** So tired from rehearsals

 **Jaehee Kang:** But the results are worth it for Zen.

_Jumin Han has entered the chatroom_

**Jaehee Kang:** Mr Han, hello.

 **ZEN:** Why are you here again?

 **Jumin Han:** I forgot to tell Assistant Kang about the new project.

 **Jaehee Kang:** New project…

 **Jaehee Kang:** We have four ongoing projects in our department, Mr Han.

 **Jumin Han:** There is this business that I have been eyeing.

 **Jaehee Kang:** And?

 **Jumin Han:** Contact my father.

 **Jaehee Kang:** What shall I tell him?

 **ZEN:** Did you seriously not read the messages above?

 **Yoosung☆:** Oi, Trustfund kid. When you read this, make sure to give Jaehee a break

 **Yoosung☆:** Zen sent that

 **Jumin Han:** This is an important business.

 **Jumin Han:** We can benefit from it greatly and we can help other people.

 **Yoosung☆:** isn’t that what we’re doing using the RFA???

 **ZEN:** If you want to help other people,

 **ZEN:** Lessen your employees’ workloads

 **Jumin Han:** I presume that this will be better spoken in private.

 **Jumin Han:** We will talk about it in the morning.

_Jumin Han has left the chatroom_


	15. Stood Up - 03

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *whispers* I actually have Stood Up done and I regret having my five chapter rule because I want more Baekju and Jumin interaction
> 
> Also, this is the photo that... well... you'll know when you get there
> 
> https://68.media.tumblr.com/fdf9b9e0d7d88128b97ea18d2797f1ab/tumblr_onkrkiQrqN1u4nsfgo1_400.png

You stared at your phone, scrolling down slowly. You had noogled C&R‘s Executive Director Jumin Han and were scrolling through the images. You’ve read quite a few articles about him: about C&R, his accomplishments, about these RFA parties, and some that scrutinized his sexuality.

 _I hope that he’s straight though._ was the thought that immediately went to your head when you read about him being gay

So there, with the dimmed hospital room lights, you scrolled through hundreds and thousands of photos of Jumin Han. You stopped at one photo where he was looking directly at the camera used to take the photo. He wore a black shirt with a gray collar and a smile wasn’t present on his face.

He looked sort of intimidating, but at the same time, incredibly good looking.

_Can anyone be this good looking?_

“Mama,”

You turned towards the bed, locking your phone and placing it on the bedside table. You ran your hand repeatedly over Baekju’s hair, smiling weakly at him.

“Is there something wrong, honey?” You asked

“Mama, where’s papa?” Baekju asked

You frowned, “Why did you ask that?”

“Ahjussi asked it earlier,” he answered

“Ahjussi? You mean the kind man earlier?” You questioned

He nodded.

You sighed, “We talked about this already, remember, honey?”

He nodded again.

“Papa’s busy and he’s overseas,” you added, “And… well, there are times when the mama and the papa do not stay with each other.”

He pouted, “So there are others too like me?”

“Yes but they’re not as happy as you, right?” You smiled at him

He chuckled, “Of course, mama. I have the best mama in the world.”

“I have a secret to tell you,” you whispered, “Did you know that I have the best honey in the world?”

He gasped dramatically, “Is that me, mama?”

“Shh, don’t be so loud about it.” You grinned at him, “People might get envious that I have the best one.”

He zipped his mouth as if to say that it was a secret between the two of you.

“You have to sleep now though,” you said, “To keep up with being the best.”

He closed his eyes and turned around. A second after everything went quiet, your phone started ringing aloud. You grabbed it and looked at the phone, seeing the unknown caller. You accepted the call just to keep it quiet and exited the room.

“Hello?” You asked as you put it at your ear

 _“I apologize for calling late,”_ a familiar voice spoke

“Oh, Jumin, hi,” you replied

_“Yes, I was just making sure that you had my number. Did I wake you?”_

“No, actually I was thinking about you,” you replied nonchalantly then you gasped deeply once your words set in

_“Excuse me?”_

“N-n-no, I mean, ugh, nevermind, I didn’t mean that,” you responded, thankful that he wasn’t actually there to see you blush

_Curse this uncontrollable mouth!_

_“Well, I have done what I wanted to do. You can save my number now. Do you want any help? I can send an computer technician to help you.”_

“No thank you, I can do it by myself,” you responded

_“I see. Good night then. Do not forget my offer.”_

You nodded, “I promise I won’t.”

You turned the call off then groaned, having the urge to hit your head on the wall. You turned to Baekju, thankful that he wasn’t interrupted by the call, and went back to your Noogle searches.

_Oh, Jumin, why do you have to have this effect on me?_

You closed Noogle and went to your phone app to save the number. You typed in his name ‘Jumin’ and contemplated on whether or not you’ll add a little thing on your own to represent him.

In the end, you nodded to yourself. It wasn’t like he’d ever see the heart you put beside his name.

•••

Jaehee sighed as she saw the lights from her boss’ office turned off. It was barely two in the afternoon, he didn’t have appointments planned for the rest of the day, and he had more workload than she did but there he was, casually walking out of his office, fixing his cuff and acting as if she wouldn’t see him if he didn’t see her. He brought his suitcase with him, signalling that he was done for the day. Even if it was far from being done.

Jaehee cleared her throat, stopping him from his tracks, “Mr Han? Where are you headed?”

He didn’t turn to her, “I have a meeting.”

“No, you do not,” Jaehee replied

“It’s a personal meeting,” Jumin said

“What about the papers today? Have you finished everything?” Jaehee asked

Jumin didn’t answer. He just resumed on walking, too stubborn to talk. Jaehee groaned. She knew that attitude. It meant that Jumin didn’t have the energy to lie so he would just act as if he didn’t hear her. Jaehee stood from her seat and followed him to the elevator, calling for him. He entered the elevator and quickly pressed the close door button and Jaehee was left thinking why she was working with a kid-like boss.

She tried calling his phone to no use. He had already shut it off. She logged on to the messenger, finding it deserted with the remnants of last night’s chats.

 **Jaehee Kang:** Luciel, can you do me a favor?

 **Jaehee Kang:** When you read this, can you track Mr Han’s phone?

 **Jaehee Kang:** He left suddenly and said that he had a personal meeting. I know nothing about this.

 **Jaehee Kang:** He left a lot of work to do and he has a whole day meeting tomorrow and he has a business turn over in the evening.

_707 has entered the chatroom_

**707:** The wizard

 **707:** has entered

 **707:** Hello, slave assistant

 **707:** what is your wish that I shall grant?

 **Jaehee Kang:** Track Mr Han’s phone for me, Luciel. I cannot reach him and he has left the office.

 **707:** do not fear, assistant

 **707:** I, Wizard Seven Zero Seven,

 **707:** will get to the bottom of this!

_707 has left the chatroom_

_How in the world did I get into this situation?_ Jaehee asked herself, thinking about her kid of a boss and her quirky, albeit a bit weird, acquaintance

•••

You had finally fallen asleep after hours of trying and failing. Your head was placed on the bed where Baekju was and the rest of your body was slouched on your plastic chair. The waiting for the doctors and Baekju’s temperature to go down was an excrutiating process. You had to stay up for hours at a time even if it was at two in the morning or four in the afternoon. The doctor would go in every once in a while, interrupting the minimal sleep that you got.

Speaking of which, a knock on the door jolted you awake. You yawned and went over to the door, opening it slowly and letting who it was to enter without looking up. You just wanted the short check up to be done so you could go back to sleep.

“I brought this,”

You looked up to see, not a man in white, but a man in a black suit and a pinstripped shirt. This got you awake and you caught yourself staring at him before he could call you on it.

You looked at the object in his hands and saw a fruit basket. You gave a smile and a thanks to him before placing it on the table.

Just when you were about to abolish the awkward silence between the two of you (or maybe it was just on your part?) using the weather talk, he decided to speak up and no longer beat around the bush.

“I came here because you looked like you had no sleep last night,” he spoke, “It would be alright for me to take care of Baekju for the afternoon.”

“No thank you,” you responded out of politeness, “What made you decide this though?”

“I watched my mother worry about me a lot when I was in the hospital as a child,” he replied, “I may not look like it but I _was_ sickly.”

You smiled at him, “I’m really fine though but thank you for the gesture.”

He grabbed your hand and placed a key on your palm, “My driver will take you to the hotel. You can order room service if you want, don’t think of the payment.”

“Jumin, nobody’s gonna stay behind to-,”

“Take care of Baekju?” He asked, “I have taken the rest of the day off to take care of him.”

“It’s not that I don’t like this but,” You stated then paused a bit, “Why are you doing this? I understand the tip thing and it’s totally cool with me but this is something else, Jumin.”

Jumin started leading you to the door and you were following.

“You did not want to accept money and I assume that you will not do so for a long time,” Jumin explained, “So I thought up a plan to make it even without you declining my offers. Now go on, the driver is waiting for you.”

The two of you reached the door and he opened it for you.

“W-Wait but how will I even-,”

Before you could retort, however, the door was slammed shut and you tried to twist the knob but it was locked already.

“Did you just lock me out of my own son’s room?” You called

You sighed when there was no response and just made your way to the elevator, down to the main entrance where a man in a suit was holding up a placard with your name on it. He brought you to the car and drove off to the hotel which wasn’t actually very far.

“Your boss is pretty extra,” you spoke to the driver, hoping that he was allowed to respond

“Mr Han is very much like that,” he agreed, “There will be times when he would ask me to bring him and his cat at the park then we would just drive around the park for half an hour.”

You chuckled, “Really? Why won’t he just take the cat for a regular walk?”

The driver shared laughter with you, “Have you ever seen a man in a suit walk a cat who would refuse to step foot on asphalt?”

•••

Jumin sat on your chair, waiting for Baekju to wake up. He actually didn’t have any plans, he just thought that an extra helping hand on taking care of a kid was nice and that the hotel would be a good enough tip. And besides, he really _did_ know that taking care of a child alone was hard, seeing as his nannies did so all the time, and maybe occassionally his mother when she happened to be around.

Speaking of which, he didn’t know where Baekju’s father was but, basing on the child’s reaction when he was asked, Baekju’s father was either not around anymore or not around at all. Now he wondered how you managed to have a full time job and take care of a child alone.

_Maybe he has nannies too?_

But then again, the nannies should be there at the hospital taking care of Baekju while you worked so those were out of the equation. So who took care of Baekju while you weren’t around?

_He can’t possibly take care of himself already, right?_

The boy shifted in his bed and slowly opened his eyes. His eyes wandered around the room, looking for the familiar face that is his mom when he only found another, slightly familiar face, that of his mom’s friend.

“Ahjussi,” he whispered

Jumin forced up a wide smile on his face, which was actually only a small smile that would only be noticeable if you tried hard. He scooted close to the bed and waved to the kid.

“Do you want to eat?” He asked

The boy looked around once more, “Where’s mama?”

“She is resting at the moment,” Jumin answered

“Did you make her rest?” He asked

Jumin nodded and Baekju smiled weakly.

“Thank you, ahjussi,” he responded, “I don’t see mama resting a lot. She’s always working.”

Jumin raised a brow, “Oh really? What work does she do?”

“She’s a waitress,” Baekju responded, “And when it’s, when she doesn’t have work, she sells stuff.”

“What kind of stuff?” Jumin asked

“The things she put on her face, like that,” Baekju explained, “Like on her lips then it will make it red.”

Jumin nodded in understanding, “So who takes care of you when she’s not home?”

“Sometimes my babysitter is there but she’s just on her phone,” Baekju told Jumin, “So I have ready to eat stuff at home.”

“Ready to eat? There are things like that?” Jumin asked

Baekju chuckled, “You’re funny, ahjussi.”

“No, seriously, there are ready to eat things?” Jumin repeated his question, “You mean chips and soda, right?”

“Yeah but there are also some bread and canned food too,” Baekju added, “Sometimes I buy burgers too and those that are in convenience stores.”

“You go out on your own?” Jumin asked, “You are six, correct?”

“I’m turning seven a week from now!” Baekju declared, “If mama decides to throw a party, you’re the first one that I’ll invite.”

“What kind of party do you want?” Jumin asked

“One with friends,” Baekju responded

“How many friends do you have?”

Baekju pondered on the question for a moment, “Not much. I’m usually at home because I get sick a lot.”

“Do you want a big party?” Jumin asked

“Well, I only have a few guests,” Baekju said then put up his right pointer finger

“One guest?” Jumin asked and Baekju nodded

Jumin smiled weakly, “It seems like we are alike in many things then.”


	16. Stood Up - 04

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooookay I seriously have to start the Zen centered story noooow

_Jumin Han has entered the chatroom_

**707:** I knew that the spell would work!

 **707:** bow down to me

 **707:** i have saved the day again

 **Jaehee Kang:** Mr. Han, where have you been? I’ve been calling you for hours.

 **Jumin Han:** I just got home.

 **Jumin Han:** I am tired. I think I need to go sleep now.

 **Jaehee Kang:** Chairman Han was looking for you around four in the afternoon. Mr. Han, is there a problem that you are not telling us?

 **Jumin Han:** There is no problem.

 **Jumin Han:** *sent a photo* 

**707:** lol is that you in the upper corner?

 **Jumin Han:** Yes, I thought it was obvious…

 **707:** u look blurry

 **Jaehee Kang:** Mr. Han, why are you in the hospital? And whose kid is he?

 **Jumin Han:** He is Baekju, he is MC’s son.

 **707:** ooh gosh she has a son already

 **707:** so sad

 **Jumin Han:** Baekju said that they aren’t together. He also said that I am good looking and kind.

 **707:** ooh this is the perfect moment for zen to enter

_Yoosung☆ has entered the chatroom_

**707:** >_<

 **Jumin Han:** Not that I do not agree.

 **Jaehee Kang:** Mr. Han, why did you ditch work?

 **Jumin Han:** I took care of Baekju for the afternoon. Did you know that he likes cats too? I must bring Elizabeth the 3rd at least once.

 **Yoosung☆:** Is… Jumin courting MC or something?

 **Jaehee Kang:** No.

 **707:** nah

 **Jumin Han:** Nope.

 **707:** lol jumin said nope

 **707:** where are you learning your new words?

 **Jaehee Kang:** I understand that you adore MC but you have a job and you cannot simply walk away from it.

 **Jumin Han:** I had to pay my tip to her.

 **707:** this is still because of the stood up thing?

 **Yoosung☆:** I thought you weren’t stood up…?

 **Yoosung☆:** I am lost about everything…

 **Jumin Han:** Assistant Kang is there any place suitable for a children’s party? Book it for next Saturday.

 **Jaehee Kang:** **Excuse me?**

 **Jumin Han:** Make sure that all of the RFA members will attend the party.

 **707:** let’s partaaaaay~~~

 **Jaehee Kang:** What for?

 **Jumin Han:** A child’s birthday party. Now I must go.

_Jumin Han has left the chatroom_

•••

Jumin had arrived at exactly the perfect moment the following day: Baekju was being discharged.

Overnight, the boy’s fever finally broke and his temperature dropped to the normal level and he was allowed to go out of the hospital. Jumin entered and saw that the bed had been tidied and Baekju was sitting on it, waiting for his mother to come back.

The boy gave him a wide grin and a wave as soon as he saw his visitor.

“Hello, ahjussi,” he greeted

“You’re being discharged?” Jumin asked, sitting down next to the boy

“What does that mean?” Baekju raised his brow

“It means that you’re allowed to go out of the hospital,” Jumin explained

“Oh. Yeah, I am.” Baekju smiled at him, “I hope you keep visiting even if I’m not here anymore.”

“Why would I stop?” Jumin asked, “And besides, I have a surprise to give you but that’s not for today.”

“Can you give me a clue?” Baekju asked, giving him a side smile

“No hints,” Jumin spoke, “I hope that you would like it though.”

“Where is MC?” Jumin asked

“Mama’s paying for the bills,” Baekju answered, “She was really sad earlier before she left. I don’t think I’m gonna have a party next week but it’s okay. As long as mama’s home that day.”

“Can you do something for me, ahjussi?” Baekju asked

“What is it?”

“Can you make mama smile? She doesn’t smile often. I think she’s always tired,” Baekju responded, “But I always see her smiling when she’s on her phone. She always reads on her phone too and there’s a picture of you on what she’s reading.”

“Can you always make her smile?” Baekju repeated, “I wanna see her smiling all day so she can be happy, then I can be happy, then everyone can be happy!”

Jumin stared at Baekju for a while until the younger one turned to him with a sweet and innocent smile. He couldn’t help but share a small smile with the boy, seeing as his smiles that always reached his ears were contagious and warming.

“I will try, Baekju,” Jumin responded, “But I cannot promise.”

“You are a really cool friend, ahjussi,” Baekju pointed out, “I wanna be your friend too.”

“Well, we can be each other’s second friend then,” Jumin said

Baekju gasped, “Really?”

“Really.”

•••

You opened the door to your home, relieved that you and Baekju were finally out of the hospital. Although the past three days were stressful with all the payments and things you had to sign, that one afternoon off that Jumin gave you was more than enough.

The hotel was marvelous to begin with that you were fine with staying at the hotel lobby because there were sofas larges enough to occupy you and Baekju for two nights. When you got to the room, you didn’t expect it to be almost as big as a small unit would be. You can live in there with two other roommates with room to spare. It was huge for one person to occupy for, what, six hours?

_It’s Jumin Han, what do you expect?_

Honestly it shouldn’t have been shocking. The first son of a family in the top five richest families in South Korea rented a hotel room for you so that was very room was probably still below his standards. You came to terms there that you will never reach Jumin’s status quo but it was fine.

It wasn’t as if you were expecting him to suddenly fall for you, right?

_Right. It’s just a crush so as long as I don’t make a big deal out of his every gesture, it’ll probably fade away after a few days._

That was how crushes worked anyways.

You slept soundly for five hours there, only realizing that you had fallen asleep for too long and that Baekju was most likely looking for you.

When you arrived at the hospital room though, you saw Jumin and Baekju taking selfies with Baekju teaching the older one how to take photos properly. It seemed as though Jumin had always been blurry in the photos while Baekju was looking fine. He spoke something about how it was a photographer’s duty to take photos, not a businessman like him which made Baekju burst into laughter.

The few hours that the two spent together was enough to send Baekju into a hyper storyteller for at least an hour as soon as Jumin left. You listened intently on the stories, finding out that Baekju had revealed about his father’s whereabouts, how happy he was that Jumin was like him when he was a child, how he had taught the older one how to download games and play them, and many more things.

It tired out the six year old, quickly sending him to dreamland.

But now that the two of you were out, you had to be even more focused on taking care of him. There weren’t nurses or doctors around to check on him every hour or so so all he had was you and your care.

“Mama,” he spoke when you laid down on the bed next to him, “Are you ready to be friends with ahjussi?”

“Of course I am. We’re actually friends,” you answered

“No, no, friends like the ones in tv,” Baekju explained, “Like hugging and-.” He giggled, “kissing. Friends like that.”

You raised a brow and chuckled, “Where did you get that idea, little man?”

“Because he is kind and he makes you happy. I wanna make you happy mama, always,” Baekju answered, “I want everyone in the whole world to be happy.”

“Honey, ahjussi and I have to agree on that and that includes a lot of talking to each other,” you responded, “It’s complicated adult stuff.”

“But why does it have to be complicated?” He asked, “He is good, mama. Remember when you told me that I should be good to make a lot of friends? He is good like that so he can be your friend.”

“Mama’s gonna have to be married if we become good friends,” you pointed out, “You know the thing in tv where the girl wears a pretty white dress or sometimes a hwarot?”

“Then we’ll have a party!” Baekju cheered, “Mama if you’re gonna be happy like those who are married in tv then it’s okay. Me and ahjussi can share friends.”

You ruffled his hair, “Why are we even talking about ahjussi?”

“I made a promise to him so you have to be friends with him,” Baekju answered

“Why am I in your promise? Shouldn’t a promise between you two?” You asked

“But you’re kinda involved,” Baekju added, “And mama I wanna play with him all day long, can you two be friends?”

“Alright, honey. I’ll try.”

•••

You and Jumin had constant communication. You two texted during your breaks, thank goodness for your matched lunch hours, and before bed. You shot each other texts while on the transport on the way to work or to home which would often lead to the other responding a little bit too late because of your work schedules. There were also times when he would call you but it wasn’t as often as your texts.

Though it was only a little over a week since you two actually met, you felt like you made a stronger connection with him rather than other people you’ve met years ago. He made it seem as if he was the easiest person to talk to despite everyone else cowering in fear or hating him. He was a whole different person with the way he treated you.

Sometimes you couldn’t help but expect though. What _was_ this that you two had? Merely textmates? No, textmates didn’t have much care whether or not the other actually ate properly. Was this a mutual understanding? But then again, there were no words that said “I love you”, they were just words of concern.

 ** _Just_** _words of concern._

But then on the eleventh day since you met him (yes you’ve been counting), luck just had to make sure that the two of you met.

“Uh, hi, Jumin. Sorry to call you at this hour but I have an early shift tomorrow and Baekju’s sitter couldn’t take care of him and the restaurant doesn’t allow kids at the kitchen. Could you take him in for a few hours? I promise I’ll pay you back. Call me back when you get this. Bye.” You sighed

It made you feel guilty that you were making a busy executive director of a top performing company to babysit your son, and asking the favor at five in the afternoon before the said date. Jumin always had his phone ready though so if ever he couldn’t then it would be fine. You were sure some daycare would take Baekju in for the day.

•••

_Jumin Han has entered the chatroom_

**Jumin Han:** Assistant Kang?

 **Jaehee Kang:** Yes, Mr. Han?

 **ZEN:** Do you seriously get in here just so you could order Jaehee around?

 **Jumin Han:** Organize a bring your child to work day.

 **Jaehee Kang:** For when?

 **Jumin Han:** For tomorrow.

 **Jaehee Kang:** Mr. Han, why are we having that if the two of us are childless?

 **Jumin Han:** I have a child tomorrow. There is no need for a grand celebration, just tell the employees to bring a child.

_Jumin Han has left the chatroom_

**ZEN:** Is is just me or did Jumin change?

 **Jaehee Kang:** You should see him at work. He has changed _a lot_.

 **ZEN:** For… worse?

 **Jaehee Kang:** …

 **Jaehee Kang:** …for the better.

_Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom_

•••

“And then they said, ‘Very good’,” Baekju said, playing with the spoon on his emptied bowl of cereal, “Mama, I’m very good.”

You smiled at him, “Definitely very good. Keep up the good work, ‘kay, honey?”

There was a knock on the door so you stood up and called, “Who is it?”

“It’s me,” was the response

You opened the door and smiled at your visitor, “Hey there. Baekju, ahjussi’s here. Come in.”

You lead Jumin to the living room as Baekju got up to get this small backpack in his room.

“I’m sorry to do this on such a short notice,” you said

“It’s fine, I understand,” Jumin responded, “Being a single mother isn’t a joke.”

You smiled at him, “I’m glad you understand.”

“Baekju made me understand,” he responded which caught your attention, “I know that you always work and that you’re basically restless. Baekju’s worried about you, you know? Show him that you’re happy and that you’re well.”

“What… what promise did the two of you have?” You asked

“He made me promise to make you smile,” Jumin answered, “You are Baekju’s entire world and he is intent on keeping it that way.”

You fell silent, the two of you just staring at each other as his words sunk in. Baekju crashed the silence that you two had by running down the stairs and going to the two of you.

“Be good to ahjussi, okay, Baekju?” You told him

He nodded and they left but Jumin’s words remained.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Screams because I seriously love seeing Jumin as a father figure


	17. Stood Up - 05

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me since April 2, 00:00: Waaaah I don't wanna let go of this final chapter waaaaah
> 
> (I seriously don't want to do this but I have to let Baekju go. So sad. Sososososo sad T-T)
> 
> P.S. Don't worry bby Baekju Mama GodMod will be back
> 
> P.P.S. CREDITS TO MY AMAZING PROFESSOR WHO TAUGHT US THE "IS HE/SHE THE ONE" TEST~~

On the way to your house, Jumin stared at the houses that he happened to pass by. They were small and simple unlike his penthouse and he was sure that many people lived in one while he felt like his penthouse was just the exact size.

He sighed then turned to his driver whom he had caught glancing at him every now and then.

“Driver Kim, are you married?” He asked, looking at the driver’s eyes at the mirror

“Yes, Mr Han,” the driver answered

“How did you know that you wanted to marry your wife?” Jumin tilted his head to the right

“Well,” Driver Kim started, “my father told me this test. Think about that woman then ask yourself, right at this very moment, are you willing to drop everything and go somewhere to marry her with no doubts and no second thoughts?”

“Yes,” Jumin responded as soon as his driver finished, “Yes I would love to marry her right now.”

“Then she’s the one,” Driver Kim pointed out

“And then what?” Jumin asked, “I apologize for all the questions. I am quite clueless about this.”

“No worries, Mr Han,” Driver Kim responded, “And then you plan on how to tell her. It’s going to be nerve wracking…” he eyed his stoic boss, “Or not.”

Jumin stared on ahead but his driver was sure that he was listening to him.

“Mr Han do you need advice?” Driver Kim asked

“Yes. How do I see that this woman is different from my father’s women?” Jumin asked

“Mr Han, there’s a part of me that knows that this woman isn’t like one of them,” Driver Kim answered, “Just by the fact that you want to marry her, I know that she is worth your time.”

Driver Kim stopped driving and parked in front of your house.

•••

Jaehee scrambled to keep all the important files on the table and not in some child’s hands. The children all thought it was nice to play with the other kids, although Jaehee thought that it was fine, but they all ganged up on her table and decided to use the documents as their coloring sheets. She had printed more than fifty coloring sheets for all of them and had gathered them all in an unoccupied meeting room where they all silently colored.

When Jaehee finally sat down, the elevator door opened and in came Jumin, another child trailing behind him.

“Assistant Kang, where are the children?” Jumin asked

“They are all in the meeting room next to your office,” Jaehee responded, “Is he MC’s child?”

The kid looked up at her, “You know me?”

Jaehee smiled over at him, “Yes, you are Baekju.”

“Baekju, my office is over there.” Jumin pointed at the door ahead, “You go on. I will follow in a while.”

Baekju nodded and did what he was told to do.

“Assistant Kang, why are you at your desk?” Jumin asked, “Haven’t I told you that you are not to work there today?”

Jaehee raised her brow, “You said nothing of the sort.”

“I must have forgotten,” Jumin muttered, “Well, you are relieved from office work today. You are assigned to look over the children.”

“But Mr Han,”

“I trust you that you can take care of them,” Jumin interrupted, “Do not worry. Just tell me if they are getting out of hand.”

Jaehee nodded then went to the meeting room and finding the children perfectly behaved.

She smiled, _Maybe they won’t be too bad._

•••

Jumin entered his office and found Baekju spinning around in his chair. The child enjoyed going round and round, a smile on his face as he pushed the seat for another round. Jumin rolled the seat a bit to the right and grabbed a seat for himself, placing it at the center of the table.

“This is your work?” Baekju asked, looking over at the table

“Yes, I read and sign things,” Jumin explained, “Do you want to be with the other children?”

Baekju shook his head no, “I want to stay here. This chair is fun.”

Jumin smiled at the child before starting to review the pile that was his job for the day. He grabbed his phone out of his pocket then gave it to the child.

“You’re letting me borrow your phone?” He asked

“You might get bored in here,” Jumin responded

Baekju nodded then opened the phone, looking for games and saw that Jumin had downloaded some since the last time he saw the phone.

The hours flew by quickly and, while Jaehee was having the time of her life, finally relaxing at work, Jumin was the least bit focused on his. He knew that he had to do some work but so far, he had only finished three documents, twenty Noutube cat videos and fourteen pages of memes.

He and Baekju laughed at a particular video where the cat followed the red dot. His computer’s browser’s history was filled with so much non work related things but he wasn’t, in any way, concerned.

When he had shut off the computer and focused back on his work, Baekju had once again occupied himself with Jumin’s phone, this time, logging in to some app called “Messenger”.

The screen loaded and there was already a conversation going on.

_Jumin Han has entered the chatroom_

**707:** hi Jumin

 **707:** the two most workaholic people in the RFA

 **707:** are slacking off…

 **Yoosung☆:** Lol we are in a new generation now

 **Jaehee Kang:** Mr. Han, is everything going well?

 **Jumin Han:** hi

 **707:** Jumin didn’t use proper punctuation and capitalization…

 **707:** waht is hapoening in this wirls???

 **Jumin Han:** who are yu?

 **Yoosung☆:** …

 **Jaehee Kang:** Mr. Han?

 **Jumin Han:** hes busi

 **Jumin Han:** reeding

 **Jumin Han:** work

 **707:** Why do I get the feeling that Jumin transformed to a kid?

 **Jaehee Kang:** Baekju is that you?

 **Jumin Han:** yes

Jaehee’s eyes widened as ‘Jumin’ sent a photo of Baekju smiling at the camera with the real Jumin in the background, paper in his hands.

 **Yoosung☆:** Aw so adorable

 **707:** hiiiiiii

 **Jumin Han:** haha thenks

 **Jumin Han:** hi whats your name?

 **Yoosung☆:** I’m Kim Yoosung

 **707:** and I am

 **707:** Seven

 **707:** Zero

 **707:** Seven

 **707:** The Defender of Justice!

 **Jumin Han:** are yu a polisman?

 **707:** haha no

 **707:** my work is a secret

 **Jaehee Kang:** Are you feeling bored, Baekju? You can play with the other kids here.

 **Jumin Han:** no

 **Jumin Han:** ahjussi is really kind and we play games

 **Jumin Han:** and use the computor and watch cat vidyos

 **Jumin Han:** and serch memes

 **707:** You and I will get along well, Baekju

 **707:** can’t wait to meet you at your birthday party!

 **Jumin Han:** party! I will have a party?

 **Yoosung☆:** haha dude you’re in trouble

 **Jaehee Kang:** You sure are when Mr. Han knows this.

 **707:** don’t worry, i’ll delete it after you all leave

 **Jaehee Kang:** …you do realize that he and I are in the same floor, right?

The door opened and in came Jaehee, her phone in hand.

“Mr Han,” Jaehee said, catching the boys’ attention, “Baekju is in the chatroom and Luciel has said something.”

Jumin turned to the boy and grabbed the phone, reading the chats. He sighed then typed. Jaehee looked at her phone and read when Jumin had sent.

 **Jumin Han:** Luciel,

 **Jumin Han:** Do not talk to me or my son ever again.

 **707:** dude that is a meme…

Jaehee furrowed her brows as she looked at her boss for an answer but she got none when she saw that the two went back to what they were doing as if she wasn’t there.

•••

You gave a breath of relief as your shift finally finished. You and your co-workers went over to the employees’ lounge and sat down on the seats.

“That was a long shift,” a waitress said breathlessly

“Yeah,” you responded, “I have to go pick up Baekju now.”

“Ooh and you’re going to see Mr Han?” A woman teased, “How exciting.”

You rolled your eyes, “We’re nothing like that. We’re just… friends.”

“Why do I have a feeling that you suck each other’s faces when you tuck Baekju to bed?” A waiter spoke up

You blushed furiously and threw a handkerchief his way, “We do not! I’m not even like that.”

“Girl, he is Jumin Han. Can’t you just fall? I mean, he’s basically doing stuff to make you like him,” the first woman said

“That’s not true,” you countered, “Jumin’s happy with his life and the fact that he’s good at taking care of Baekju isn’t enough to prove that he likes me.”

“You can’t possibly be serious!” The man exclaimed, “You have to be blind to not see that he likes you.”

“And where in the world did you get evidence for that?” You asked

Your co-workers looked at each other before turning back to you.

“Oh, look, Jumin sent me a text! We’ve been texting for quite a while,” your male co-worker imitated a small voice

“Hello? Jumin? No, I haven’t eaten yet. Fine, I’ll go eat, you go eat too, okay? I’ll be home in a few hours too, don’t worry about me,” a woman chipped in

You sighed dramatically, “Why do you guys have to do this? I mean, it’s nothing serious. We can’t possibly go past being friends.”

“Sweetheart,” another woman older than you said as she walked over to you, patting your head, “there isn’t any man in the universe who is willing to take care of a single mother’s son as if he was their own. Men like it when they’re the first and, even if he isn’t your first on everything, he’s still accepting you. That’s how much of a man Jumin is and that is how much he is willing to be just to have you.”

•••

“Baekju,” Jumin started, putting down the finished files and turning to the child, “is it alright with you if I become more than friends with your mother?”

Baekju tilted his head to the right, “How?”

“Like… her husband,” Jumin explained

“Like marriage?” Baekju asked and Jumin nodded, “I thought that was why you were friends. You know, the friends on tv with the kissing?”

“We are not like that, actually,” Jumin responded, “But are you alright with it if we become like that?”

Baekju stared up at him, “Yes. You’re kind and you help mama when she needs help.”

“Please make sure that you will make her smile forever. I am okay with you being her husband if you do that,” Baekju added

“I’ll become your papa then,” Jumin noted

Baekju smiled wide, “Really? But when you become my papa, don’t leave mama, don’t go abroad and leave her.”

“I won’t,” Jumin responded, ruffling the boy’s hair, “Now can you go to with the other kids for a while? I have to go somewhere.”

•••

Jaehee waved the children goodbye as they went home one by one. She felt refreshed during the day. The children were absolute angels despite her first impression of them.

They were like schoolchildren on a fieldtrip, always willing to listen and ready to learn something new. She had actually toured them around the floor when they were starting to get bored and as soon as Jaehee ordered them to fall in line and _not_ touch anything they weren’t permitted to touch, they followed. Of course the parents were absolutely adored that they saw their children touring their offices like it was the best attraction they’ve seen.

Now, Jaehee sat in silence since the last child had been taken home too but despite the silence, she couldn’t quite fully relax. It was quiet.

_Too quiet._

She stood up and went to Jumin’s office only to find nothing. She gasped when she heard footsteps behind her, calling her name.

“Chairman Han,” she greeted after turning around and giving a bow

“Where’s my son?” Chairman Han asked

“Uh, he might have went on a break,” Jaehee responded, “I will contact him immediately, Chairm-.”

“No need, Assistant Kang,”

Jaehee sighed in relief when she heard her boss’ voice.

_Well that’s a first._

“I was out to buy something, father,” Jumin said

“Jumin,” Chairman Han started, “I heard about the event you had in your department and-, who is this?”

“He is Baekju, my friend’s son,” Jumin responded and the kid waved hi

“Jihyun’s son?” Chairman Han asked

“No, another friend, father,” Jumin replied, “If you will excuse us, we have some preparations to do.”

Jumin and Baekju headed off to Jumin’s office, leaving Jaehee and Chairman Han.

“You may go back to your position,” Chairman Han said before leaving as well

Jaehee nodded then entered Jumin’s office.

“Mr Han, where were the two of you?” She asked

“We were buying a ring,” Jumin answered, “Baekju can you get me the petals?”

Baekju nodded and rummaged through the plastic bag they brought to give Jumin the four packs of red and pink rose petals.

“Assistant Kang, can you help us prepare?” Jumin asked and Jaehee followed Jumin’s orders of spreading the petals around the floor

•••

You walked out of the restaurant with your co-workers, the teasing during the short break already forgotten. You called a taxi and told the directions to C&R‘s building. The staff were accomodating even if it was almost six in the evening. The building was still full of life and the staff that helped you go up to Jumin’s office were still lively.

You were lead towards the office but you opened the door, already calling Baekju by his name.

“Baekju, mama’s here,” you said then you looked around

You took a good look around and saw the office completely dimmed by the handful of candles that were lit. There were also rose petals on the floor and you were curious as to what Jumin and Baekju had gotten up to during their time together.

“MC,”

Jumin’s voice stopped your eyes from wandering. You focused on him and only him when he started to walk towards you.

“I know that we met only eleven days ago,” Jumin started, “But through those days, you made me feel, you made me realize that emotions are worth being noticed.”

“And that’s when I realized that,” Jumin continued then held your hand, “That’s when I realized that I love you, MC. And that I want us to be more than friends.”

“More than friends?” You asked

“Yes, I want us to be more than friends,” Jumin repeated then he knelt down which made you step back a bit, “Will you marry me, MC?” He pulled out a velvet box from his pocket and opened it, revealing a diamond ring inside, “Will you make me fulfill the promise that I’ll make you happy for as long as I live?”

“Jumin,” you spoke, “Jumin, okay, this is really flattering and all that but come on! We aren’t even dating yet!”

He chuckled then stood up, the box still open.

“I don’t even have time to date anymore. I’m always busy, you know that. I have work and Baekju to take care of and-.”

“Then you’re fired,” he interrupted

“Me? What are you talking about? You’re not my boss,” you countered

“Do you not know that I purchased the restaurant that you work in?” He asked

“What?”

“To tell you honestly, I was there at the restaurant on that day we met to meet with a business partner,” Jumin explained, “I was never stood up.”

“What?”

“And at the same time, I took interest with all the customers going in and out of your restaurant and I wanted to invest in it but I guessed that buying the company itself was better,” Jumin added on, “And that is how I am your boss’ boss’ boss. And I, as your superior, am firing you so that you will have time to date, and later on, marry me.”

“What are you-, Jumin, I-.”

You were once again interrupted but now not by words but by a pair of lips. You didn’t push it away though, Jumin’s got a really nice set of lips.

But you _seriously_ have to talk to each other about your job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also I saw someone put a link to this collection in Amino and I'm too shy to say hi haha but I'm gonna go say hi here so... Hi there! ^^
> 
> Edit: a few hours after I posted this, I commented on the post of the person owo
> 
> Obligatory transition of stories:
> 
> GodMod has installed "Aaaand CUT!" extension in RFA
> 
> "I'm way better for the lead role than she is!"
> 
> "Zen. Zen the lead is a woman."
> 
> "Still. If my friend can pull off being a woman anyday he wants, then I can too."


	18. Question

No, it's not a chapter (not yet anyways). I'm finishing up the rest of Zen's first chapter and writing the half of the second before I release it.

I just want to ask one thing... no two actually.

Do you want to see what Jumin prepared for Baekju's birthday party?

And if yes, then what do you wanna see in his birthday party?

I can't quite think of anything else besides the regular party stuff and introductions of the RFA so if you have any ideas, post it down below the comments and I'll see if it's possible to have a Baekju birthday party chapter~

But for now... toodles~

...hehe...(omg!)


	19. Aaaand CUT! - 01

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg omg it's really here now! Just a minute or two ago, I have finished writing the last chapter of this installment and aaaaahhhhh I'm so glad it worked out in my favor!

“But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?”

A woman entered the building, her glasses finally unneeded since there weren’t much light inside. And besides, she didn’t need to hide her identity. Not here.

“It is the east, and Julienne is the sun.”

She made her way past the empty seats and those occupied by people who were obviously bored out of their minds. She walked towards the front and sat at the very front and center, catching the attention of a few people.

“Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief.”

She looked at the watch on her left wrist and saw that it was barely ten in the morning. It was too early for this.

“That thou her maid art far more fair than she: be not her maid, since she is envious.”

“What boredom,” she murmured under her breath then took a look at the actor speaking those all too familiar lines

“Her vestal livery is but sick and green, and none but fools do wear it; cast it off.”

She stood and spoke in a loud but understandable voice, “Oh Roneo, Roneo, does this theater house have better plays than Roneo and Julienne?”

The room was in a standstill and the guy playing Roneo turned to her in shock of being stopped in the middle of his rehearsal. He stared at her, his red eyes showing that he didn’t know what to do and that he felt like he was rudely interrupted.

“Don’t tell me that I’ll be Julienne,” she continued, “Do not dare give me a role that every middle schooler out there already did.”

“Um, who are you?” ‘Roneo’ asked

“Tell me, Roneo, why would I suddenly get in here, without guards pulling me out, at ten in the morning, at this very specific day?” She asked

“Um…”

“Darling!” A man from behind the curtains called

He ran down and went to the woman having a fit. They shared cheek kisses but the woman was still clearly pissed off.

“Please don’t tell me that this is the play,” she groaned

“N-no, no, darling, this isn’t the play,” the director said

“What? But you said that we’ll have this in three months,” the man on stage spoke up, “This is the only play we have going on.”

The director bit his lip as the woman raised her brow.

“Do you seriously expect people to travel _miles_ just to watch Roneo and Julienne? Why the hell would we even do a one-night only show then?!” The woman yelled then walked towards the backstage, “I’m leaving if you don’t have a _proper_ play in fifteen minutes!”

She exited the room and left everyone absolutely confused.

“Who was she to act that way?” ‘Roneo’ rolled his eyes

“Zen, she is the female lead of our next play,” the director introduced, “Remember our talk last week when I said that you’ll have a one-night only play?”

“ _Her_?” Zen asked, “You’re not serious, right? She’s so rude and mean to you why would you even agree to her being the lead?”

“MC will star as the lead of a musical to be shown worldwide, Zen,” the director explained, “If we don’t get her now, we’ll never get her.”

Zen scoffed, “So what? We have female actresses here who have better attitude than hers.”

“Zen, please, she is _outstanding_. She had a whole theater sold out when they released the poster of the musical the night before the actual musical,” the director spoke, “I need to think. Do we have any ideas we might’ve scrapped? Anything? Anything at all?”

He pointed at one of the people sitting at the center, “You. You’re the writer. Answer me.”

“Well, there’s a piece that I’ve been working on,” the brunet started, “I don’t have a title for it now but it focuses on the main character Rosalind.”

“She’s a great singer at their neighborhood and is taken for granted by the main leading man Armin,” he continued, “Although he’s the leading man, he tends to use Rosalind to get what he wants but before he asks for her hand in marriage she knows about this. She couldn’t tell it to him directly ‘cause she’s too kind, kinda like a martyr. They actually get married and Armin still uses her.”

“And the ending?”

“Well he realizes that she’s become distant so he tries to pursue her for real,” he finished, “Sorry I know that it’s been done before but-.”

Before the man could finish, the director was already running to the backstage, to MC’s supposed room. He knocked on her door and he waited for her answer befor entering.

Upon entering the room, he was greeted by a still pissed off MC who was glaring holes at him.

“This better be good,” she stated

“Oh it is,” the director replied, “And this… is an original musical.”

MC smiled, “I like it already.”

•••

_ZEN has entered the chatroom_

**Jaehee Kang:** Hello, Zen.

**ZEN:** Hi everybody. Hope you’re having a better time at work than I am

**Yoosung☆:** What happened?

**ZEN:** Miss diva showed up

**ZEN:** She went to the theater and started yelling about how she’s not doing Roneo and Julienne

**Jaehee Kang:** You have a new musical?

**ZEN:** Ya but we don’t know the plot and title yet

**ZEN:** If it wasn’t for this little miss primadonna we would’ve been done with blockings today

_707 has entered the chatroom_

**707:** 707

**707:** has arrived

**707:** I see that cutie Yoosung is having school problems

**Yoosung☆:** Don’t remind me.

**ZEN:** And then she says something about a one-night only play

**ZEN:** As if we can’t replace her!

**707:** lol you’re very rude towards a girl today…

**Jaehee Kang:** Are you talking about… MC?

**ZEN:** …I think

**Jaehee Kang:** So the speculations were true! Zen, all your fans are excited for this collaboration.

**ZEN:** …

**ZEN:** I was planning on giving up the role…

**Jaehee Kang:** Zen, with MC, you will be given even more projects. MC is an uprising star right now and she will have her worldwide musical in half a year.

**ZEN:** So I heard

**ZEN:** But still, I can’t stand her attitude

**Yoosung☆:** Then what are you gonna do about it?

**ZEN:** Well… the director wants a musical with her and I can’t disappoint him

**Jaehee Kang:** So you mean that you’ll do it?

**707:** is it just me or does everyone actually want to watch it?

**Yoosung☆:** lol no it’s not just you

**707:** okay i’m gonna look for tickets now

**707:** there’s no way we’re missing it!

**Jaehee Kang:** Luciel, I know the best seats.

**707:** Yoosung you coming?

**Yoosung☆:** okay

**707:** should we ask Jumin if he wants to join us?

**Jaehee Kang:** …

**Yoosung☆:** …yes?

**Yoosung☆:** i thought that was obvious…?

**Jaehee Kang:** Will he go though?

**707:** I’ll just book a seat for him then…?

**707:** lol it still shows that the musical’s Roneo and Julienne

**ZEN:** I turn my head for one minute

**ZEN:** And all of a sudden you’re hacking to get tickets

**ZEN:** I’m flattered that you want to watch it and get tickets

**ZEN:** But can’t you be a normal person for once?

**707:** i’m a hackcer

**707:** i can’t be ~normal~

**ZEN:** Well, she accepted the new musical

**ZEN:** We’re gonna have to start from scratch…

**Jaehee Kang:** Don’t worry, Zen, I’m sure that it will be good.

**Yoosung☆:** ya and this is the first time we’re watching you

**707:** i’m so excited!

**707:** should i make shirts for us all to wear?

**Jaehee Kang:** A shirt is a bit overboard…

**Jaehee Kang:** May I see the designs?

**707:** lol sure

**ZEN:** I’m just… gonna go now

**ZEN:** Don’t put my face on your shirt

_ZEN has left the chatroom_

•••

Zen and this new girl sat next to each other in the director’s room. Everyone who were in charge of the backdrops, costumes, scripts, props, and everything else were scrambling outside that room to finish what they could that day. Afterall, they had, what, two months until the dress rehearsals?

Now, they sat side by side as the writer told the story in detail. Zen listened as his leading lady fixed her appearance in the mirror that she was holding. When the writer was done, she put the mirror down and turned to him.

“I’ll bite,” she responded, “How many time do we have left?”

“We have three months,” the director responded

“Manageable,” she spoke

“Excuse me but do you even know what he just said? You didn’t look like you were listening,” Zen piped up

MC turned to him, raising a brow. She cleared her throat, closed her eyes for a second then opened it, looking at him with care and all the softness in the world.

“It’s nice to meet you, Armin,” she said then stuck her hand out, “I’m Rosalind and I’m a singer here.” She smiled at him innocently, “I am delighted to work with such a fine young man like you.”

She stoos up, “But I should really go right now because my manager wants to see me. I’ll… see you around?”

She shot him another, sweeter, smile then left the room. The three men who were left behind were all dumbfounded at the new attitude she had shown them all.

“She was… she was in character,” the writer responded, “She’s _exactly_ how I imagined Rosalind would be. For a second there my heart stopped.”

“Like I said, she’s marvelous.” The director grinned proudly

“I believe we have a great musical,” the writer spoke, “This might even be the best we’ve ever had.”

“Whoa, whoa, okay,” Zen said, “’Best’ is a bit too much, don’t you think?”

“Zen, she is the key that we have to have a great reputation,” the director told him, “Now I trust that you will do a good job as her leading man.”

“Why does _she_ get to be the lead? I’m far more innocent that her.” Zen crossed her arms

“I, uh, Zen, the lead is a woman,” the writer responded

“And so? If my friend can look like a woman any day of his life then so can I,” Zen replied

The director sighed, “I think you’re tired. You can go home now. We’ll email you the script by tonight and I wish you could instantly get your character right.”

Zen stood up and smirked at them, “Don’t worry, we’ll get that Rosalind in no time.”

The writer chuckled, “Zen, please, you have to read the script.”

“Aw, but I thought I was doing great,” he responded

The director waved him off with a small smile, “Don’t worry. You’re still our favorite.”

•••

The following day, MC arrived at the theater house at the exact same time as the day before. She headed over to the stage as she was called by the director and there was a short orientation on what else they needed to remember. They were handed their scripts and the next thing Zen knew was that the first scene was being read.

MC smiled sweetly over at Zen and he could feel the pretend in it but see none of it in her face. It looked like acting innocent was all she was at that very moment and she didn’t even look like she was acting.

_Well, the light colored dress helps,_ he noted, _But there’s… it looks like it’s natural._

He walked over to her proudly, chest puffing up a bit. He grabbed her chin and pulled it close to his. She immediately went wide eyed and there was a small blush on her face.

“My, my, you’re beautiful,” he spoke, “Don’t you think that we’re the perfect match?”

She giggled softly then pulled away from him, “You don’t look bad yourself.”

He put an arm around her waist and she stepped a few ways further.

“You’re going quite fast there,” she pointed out

He brought his eyes half-lidded, “I can take it slow for you.”

“And cut!” The director yelled, the two actors immediately pulling away from each other, “That’s good. Take a break.”

They nodded and went down the stage. It was time for lunch. Zen knew that it wasn’t for everybody though. It was lunch for those who already rehearsed and to the rest, rehearsals were just getting started. Which meant…

“Do you want to grab lunch with me?” Zen asked the girl walking beside him

She just raised a brow at him.

_So much for “innocent is natural”._

“Well since we’re supposed to act as lovers, shouldn’t we find ways on how to create chemistry between us?” He asked

“Are you suggesting we date?” She crossed her arms

“Not exactly,” he replied, “I was thinking getting to know each other by talking.”

She sighed, “Chemistry is just looking good with each other. We’re both popular and beautiful so a little smile and leaning my head on your shoulder is enough to fuel the people’s hype.”

“Probably selfies and backstage photos too,” she added, “I’m perfectly fine with eating in my room alone. Now if you’ll excuse me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> # THE RUMOR COME OUT:
> 
> # DOES JUMIN HAS IS THROWING A PARTY FOR BAEKJU?
> 
> (Chapter 16)
> 
> The giving of ideas for what you'd like to see at Baekju's birthday party, courtesy of Jumin, is still open! I have a few ideas myself but I really want that to work because I love the Jumin-centric short story~


	20. Aaand CUT! - 02

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the chapter wherein Yoosung isn't slacking off and Seven is actually helpful. Haha.

**ZEN:** and then she was like

 **ZEN:** “We’re both popular and good looking”

 **ZEN:** “we don’t need to talk and get to know each other”

 **ZEN:** and she walks out and goes to her room

 **ZEN:** Who does that? I mean, you’re a newbie at your workplace and you’re not socializing.

 **707:** lol don’t say that

 **707:** i didn’t socialize on my first day at work…

 **ZEN:** Sorry but she’s just making me mad

_Yoosung☆ has entered the chatroom_

**Yoosung☆:** Did you guys know that human raised ostriches are attracted to humans?

 **707:** what a greeting

 **ZEN:** …

 **ZEN:** Hello to you too

 **Yoosung☆:** I’m just really glad I listened to the professor okay?

 **707:** very responsible of you

 **Yoosung☆:** …not actually

 **Yoosung☆:** I’m still in the same class

 **Yoosung☆:** I just saw Zen online and wanted to ask about the musical

 **Yoosung☆:** The ticket is pretty expensive

 **707:** bad timing

 **707:** Zen hates his co worker

 **707:** hope it doesn’t show in the play though

 **ZEN:** I’ll try my best

 **ZEN:** She’s just really hard to work with

 **ZEN:** Wait I have to go for a sec

 **Yoosung☆:** okay very cool

 **Yoosung☆:** did you know that a baby Chinese water deer is so small that it can fit on your palm?

 **707:** lol so cute

 **707:** I looked up one

 **707:** wanna find one during the weekend?

 **Jumin Han:** It is good that Yoosung is paying attention in class.

 **707:** lol i forgot you were there

 **Yoosung☆:** this class is really interesting

 **ZEN:** I’m back

 **ZEN:** Oh trustfund kid is here too

 **ZEN:** I passed by her door and I heard her talking on the phone or something

 **ZEN:** She was saying how beautiful she looked!

 **ZEN:** Sure, everybody knows that but she’s always with her mirror

 **ZEN:** She’s always saying how beautiful she is

 **ZEN:** So narcissistic

 **Jumin Han:** Wow. You had the audacity to say that.

 **707:** lololol let him be

 **Yoosung☆:** I wanna pay attention in class but Zen is complaining that someone else is narcissistic

 **Jumin Han:** We know what you are feeling right now.

_Jumin Han has left the chatroom_

**707:** Aw he mustve lost connection

 **Yoosung☆:** tge profesaorc aught me

_Yoosung☆ left the chatroom_

**707:** but since you’re gonna be more popular now, don’t you think that you shouldn’t judge too quickly?

 **707:** what if someone releases all our chatlogs here?

 **ZEN:** I’d just feel betrayed then

 **707:** well what if it’s

 **707:** a HACKCHER?!

 **ZEN:** …

 **ZEN:** Are you telling me that you’ll spread this to the world?

 **707:** lolol no i helped jumpstart your career

 **707:** i won’t do that

 **ZEN:** Well break’s over

 **ZEN:** I have to go act like I like her

 **707:** well…

 **707:** might wanna give her a second chance…

 **707:** u… might not be knowing something about her that’d why she’s like that

 **ZEN:** Why? Do you know something that I don’t?

 **707:** u mean like i searched her up?

 **ZEN:** Yeah

 **707:** haha you have no proof of that

_707 has left the chatroom_

Zen sighed when the last person logged out so he logged out himself. It was time for rehearsals anyways. He headed over to the stage once more and saw that the female lead was already there, practicing a song.

The director watched merrily and took this as a sign that it wasn’t his turn yet. Zen made his way to the seats and sat next to the director.

“Didn’t I tell you that she’s great?” The director asked him

Zen nodded in agreement, “That _is_ true.”

He watched the actress on stage, that innocent and sweet aura filling her being again. This was definitely not MC though. This was Rosalind. 

She turned to look at him and smiled, “Armin, is that you?”

Zen sat up straighter, “Uh, y-yes.”

MC sighed then dropped her act, “Are you serious now? I can be Rosalind even on my way home and you’re, what? Forgetting to be Armin _inside_ the theater house?”

“Look, I’m sorry,” Zen responded, “Why are you so mad at me anyway?”

MC groaned, “Where’s your understudy?”

Zen blanched, “My what?”

“Your un-der-stu-dy,” she repeated with much more emphasis on each syllable, “Where is he? We might have a more productive rehearsal with him.”

“Darling, darling,” the director stepped forward, “I think that there’s no need for that. Zen here is the best actor we have in the house.”

“Then this musical is done for,” she responded

“What did I ever do wrong to you? You’re always angry at me, you’re always snapping at me,” Zen pointed out, “I didn’t know you before this interaction so I never did anything to make you this way.”

She grumbled the yelled to the back, “Where is his understudy?!”

The director apologized over and over to Zen as he made his way to his room, not minding the yelling that his leading lady was doing. Even in his room, he could hear the yells and the demands of the woman and he racked his brain for anything that he could have done to piss her off like this.

Their first meeting was yesterday when she was already angry at him so that wasn’t the root of the problem. He didn’t know her beforehand so he was so confused when she just started yelling at the supposed Roneo and Julienne play.

_Why does she hate me so much? Did I diss her at a crowd a few years ago? Or maybe I accidentally bumped into her?_

_No. No they’re stupid reasons._

There was a knock on his door so he opened it, seeing the same woman that he was thinking of.

“Your understudy is worse than you and we have barely four hours left in the day,” she stated then left.

He took this as his cue to appear at the stage once more and start to read his lines as best as he could with his leading lady.

_Why do I put up with this?_

•••

Days turned to a week and the director was slowly becoming tired of the fighting they were doing. They acted like total children and it wasn’t helping when the press wanted to have a preview of what they were all cooking up. They had to cancel all previews and sneak peaks because their leads didn’t want to stop arguing every second.

It was going nowhere.

“Cut!” The director yelled, “Cut, cut, cut!”

“I give up on you two!” He yelled again

The leads turned to him apologetically.

“You two are great and beautiful people and I can’t understand why you two are always fighting,” he stated, “If you can’t stop fighting then we might as well scrap this idea.”

“No, no, we’ve gone so far,” Zen responded, “I almost got it all memorized.”

“Yes, I understand. Your acting and singing and dancing, marvelous, perfect,” the director commented, “individually, that is. Together? You look like an old married couple who had only realized that they married the wrong person and has resulted to no reconciliation.”

“You have zero chemistry, zero appeal, do you not wonder why we haven’t released the poster yet? Because it looks _fake_. You look like Armin, you look like Rosalind, but you don’t look in love,” he added

MC crossed her arms, “Fine. Since it’s Friday today, Zen how about you stay over at my house? That way, we can rehearse and,” she paused then sighed, “and we can get to know each other. To build the chemistry.”

Zen shot her a look and she rolled her eyes.

“Yes, you were right, we _did_ need to build up the chemistry,” she added, “I’ll text you where we’ll meet later so better pack up quickly.”

“That’s a wrap for today,” the director called, “I expect that you’ll both be better to each other tomorrow.”

The two leads nodded and they headed off to their rooms but not before Zen stopped MC from going to hers.

“What was that? We could’ve had a normal lunch. Surrounded by people. Getting to know people doesn’t actually mean we have to sleep over at the other’s house,” Zen stated

“Your ‘getting to know’ might be good if we had time left but let me tell you this,” she paused, “You don’t. If you want to salvage this show, then we have to be quick. We have to be better. I don’t want my reputation ruined by this musical and neither do you. I’ll be waiting for you at the convenience store across the street.”

•••

 **707:** Friday night my bros

 **707:** you guys wanna go at a bar and drink?

 **Yoosung☆:** Seven, you don’t drink…

 **707:** ya but Zen does

 **707:** where is he anyway?

 **707:** im waiting for his regulary scheduled complaints

_ZEN has entered the chatroom_

**707:** perfect timing!

 **707:** i’ll pick you two up and we can go bar hopping

 **707:** i just got paid greatly so it’s my treat

 **ZEN:** Sorry. I have to work

 **707:** zen it’s friday evening

 **ZEN:** I’m… staying over at MC’s

 **707:** whoah you are moving so fast~

 **707:** are you gonna do the angry deed?

_Yoosung☆ has left the chatroom_

**ZEN:** What? We’ll be practicing all night

 **707:** so…

 **707:** …roleplay?

_Jumin Han has entered the chatroom_

**Jumin Han:** I see that Luciel is channeling his inner pervert.

 **707:** i’m innocent  >.<

 **ZEN:** Well nothing’s going to happen. It’s strictly business

 **ZEN:** Speaking of which, I have to leave now

 **ZEN:** She’s waiting for me

 **707:** remember what i said~

 **707:** you might not be knowing something about her

 **707:** but i feel like she’s gonna say it to you tonight

 **707:** lolol you’re lucky Jaehee isn’t here right now

 **Jumin Han:** Yes. She will be angry and tell you to control yourself.

 **Jumin Han:** I suppose that you’re neither a wild animal nor a hormonal teenager so you can control yourself.

 **Jumin Han:** But whatever it is you plan to do, we do not have a say in it. Do what you want.

 **ZEN:** **Guys.**

 **ZEN:** **We are rehearsing all night.**

_ZEN has left the chatroom_

•••

Zen entered the convenience store and saw MC sitting on one of the chairs. He put his bag down next to her, startling her a bit, then went over to the beverages. He pulled out several cans of beer and paid for it.

“I don’t think I can last all night without alcohol,” he commented before they walked to her car

MC drove to her residence and Zen wasn’t at all amazed by her house. It was larger than his, that was for sure, but you wouldn’t expect it to be a rising star’s house. It looked like the regular next door neighbor house.

They entered the house and MC showed him the room he would be staying in for the night.

“I’ll go change,” she said before going upstairs to who knows where

She went back down after a while, sporting a tank town and a pair of pink shorts which were going down the dangerous line of releasing Zen’s beast.

_As if I’d get turned on to a girl who basically hates me though._

She brought her script with her and sat down next to Zen.

“Where’s your script?” She asked

He pulled the script out of her hand and placed it down in between them.

“I’m here not just so we’d rehearse,” he stated, “I’m here so we can build chemistry, remember?”

She frowned, shoulders drooping, “But… but we’re losing time.”

Zen furrowed her brows, “MC, I admit that you’re good and that you basically have everything down to the last word memorized and you’ve caught your character already so this night, I wanted you to lighten up.”

He gestured to the cans of beer on the coffee table, “Do you drink?”

She pursed her lips into a thin line, “Not to offend you or anything hut alcohol isn’t the best thing to join two people together.”

“True but you won’t be mad at me all the time,” he responded then opened two cans and handed one to MC, “Is this gonna be the beginning of a good working relationship?”

She hesitantly nodded then clinked her can to his waiting one.

“So,” he started, “Where do we begin?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, Zen, where _do_ you begin?


	21. Aaaand CUT! - 03

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm planning a custom Amino title on my hundredth day. What do you think is best?
> 
> •The Pre-Girlfriend (Yoosung)  
> •Ms. Director (Jumin)  
> •Number 1 fan (Zen)  
> •Café co-owner (Jaehee)
> 
> None for Seven because the username is dedicated to him already.

“I… uh.” MC bit her lip, “I, I dunno.”

“Well okay let’s do the basic stuff,” he said, “When’s your birthday?”

“July eighth,” she answered, “Yours?”

“April first,” he replied then she shot him a look, “No really, it _is_ April first. You’re probably gonna say something about how I deserve it since I’m a joke an-,”

“Why would I say that?” She interrupted, curiosity written on her face before it was replaced by the regular old ‘I don’t really care’ look, “I mean, nevermind.”

_So maybe this is what Seven told me._

“I… can I-,” Zen sighed, “Look, I’m probably gonna be really drunk tonight so you have to bear with me with all my questions. I may seem like I want to intrude whatever it is you’re… hiding but it’s because I can’t control my mouth.”

“What makes you think that I’m hiding something?” She asked

“Well, at first I thought that you were just this really rude and annoying woman who wanted nothing but to finish this production then forget about it completely but my friend said something about giving people second chances,” he explained, “I agreed to this because I thought I could give you a second chance and… and now I really thought you’d jump at the opportunity to call me a joke,” he paused, staring at her eyes, “but you didn’t.”

“Again, why would I do that?” She repeated, “I may seem like I always rant and scold you but it’s for your own good, okay? Nothing comes out of being nice to people and nothing, absolutely nothing comes out of being this… this sweet, innocent girl who’s so caught up with her dreams that-, that…”

Zen sat in shock and silence so he just sipped from his can of beer as well as her from her own.

“Nevermind I said that,” she whispered

“Y-Yes,” he replied, “Favorite color?”

She huffed and stayed silent for a moment, “Pink. Yours?”

“Red,” he answered, “What do you think of our theater house?”

“It’s a bit similar than the one I usually go to,” she responded, “But yours is a bit bigger and you have more people working.”

“Oh speaking of which, how’s that international thing of yours going on? I hope you aren’t too stressed by two things at once,” he said

“Why are you concerned about me all of a sudden?” She asked

Zen shrugged, “You just said that you were scolding me for my own good so I figured that we were just looking out for each other like, you know, like actor to actress kind of thing.”

“Well, it’s going great but the lead, ugh, my leading man in that musical is so bad. I mean, they could’ve found a better guy to play the role, right? And I hope he brushes his teeth before the kissing scenes because I swear he eats onions before the scenes just to spite me,” MC rattled out, “Do you know how it feels to kiss someone who isn’t actually a good kisser but you have to pretend that he is? It just… his breath kills me and he’s so sloppy that he ruins my lipstick all the time.”

Zen let out a chuckle, “Hey, I promise that I will brush my teeth before we rehearse the kissing scenes.”

She furrowed her brows, “Wait, this is a romance. I wonder why we aren’t pushed into being comfortable with kissing yet.”

“Maybe because the director’s scared you’ll punch me in the face when we do?” Zen offered, “But we seriously have to get that practiced, am I right?”

“Are you trying to make a move on me, Hyun?” She asked

Zen blushed, “No! It’s just completely normal to practice it and, did you just call me Hyun?”

“Well, that _is_ your name,” she pointed out, “And I do my research before I get to work with people.”

He neared his face to hers which made her blush and pull away just slightly, “I’m sorry, did I startle you?”

“N-n-no, no, it’s fine. I kissed other guys too,” she replied, “Well get to it Armin. Show me what you’ve got.”

He grabbed her chin then slowly pulled her face closer until their lips were meeting. The kiss, at first, was still as if they were waiting for each other to make the next move until Zen gathered up his courage and made his first move which quickly resulted in a good rhythm. 

MC’s eyes were open as they did, trained on his face and closed yet concentrated eyes. She finally gave in and slowly closed her eyes, relishing in the fake passion that he was giving her. It was the least she could have from him from all this mess.

They stayed like that until they couldn’t breathe and both were flushed by the end of their practice session. MC had to put her beer down and fan her face.

“So, how was it?” Zen asked cheekily

MC bit her lip, “Good. I guess. I think that’s enough kissing practice.”

He nodded in agreement.

•••

An hour and a half and one more than cans of beer than they can manage later, Zen and MC were laughing like idiots. It was as if they never had this hatred to each other before and that they were the best of friends for so many years.

“I gotta admit,” Zen muttered, “You _are_ a good actress.”

MC laughed at him then smirked, “Wanna see how good I am as an actress?”

“Shoot,” Zen replied then watched as MC look like she was completely sober, stopping her hiccups and all

“Armin, you have to stop drinking, it’s not good for you,” she said in a soft voice, “Let’s get you to bed so you can rest. We still have a long day tomorrow.”

Zen, not quite in his right mind, puffed up his chest and pulled her close to him, “Wanna see how good I am as an actor?”

“Hah, as if!” MC laughed again, now obviously drunk, “If you can, then stay in character for the rest of the night. We’ll see who the better one is.”

Before she could shoot him with another pretend act of being Rosalind, her lips were pressed against Zen’s, the other giving her a sloppy kiss.

MC’s eyes widened and she pulled away from him.

“Z-Zen,” she stuttered and he wasn’t sure if she was flushed because of the alcohol or she was blushing because of the kiss

Zen pressed a finger to her lips, “It’s not good to say another man’s name.”

They stared at each other, lips mere inches apart until MC dropped her act as Rosalind and prssed her lips against his again. Afterall, Rosalind wasn’t as courageous as MC and she wouldn’t ever dare to make the first move to bring them into a daring situation.

Maybe there _was_ something else she could get from this mess.

•••

MC woke up with a pounding in her head. She groaned and lazily sat down on the bed, taming her hair which would normally be puffy and all over the place. She made her way to the bathroom slowly, her back slouched. She wasn’t exactly the prettiest princess at around eight in the morning.

She yawned and stood in front of her sink, watching her tired face and bad posture and naked body,

_Naked body?_

This woke her up. She looked down at herself and saw that she wasn’t wearing anything down to the last undergarment. She wasn’t the type of girl who did sleep naked anyways so this was… new… and weird of her.

_I must’ve felt hot because of the alcohol._

She nodded to herself at her explanation that it was because she was too heated by the alcohol last night.

But alcohol couldn’t make a hickey appear at her neck.

She furrowed her brows as she saw the red blotch on her skin a few ways below her right jaw. Her eyes trailed down to another placed near her throat and then another.

_Why do I have so many hickeys?_

And as if it all made sense, her eyes widened in shock.

_Oh no. What did I do last night?_

Hazy memories went back to her. She could recall climbing to his lip and placing another kiss on his lips as he sat dumbfounded by everything that was happening.

 _“I like you, Zen, I really like you,”_ she had told him

_“How?”_

_“What do you mean how? I like you. A lot. You never lashed out at me even if I was mean to you and I really liked it when you picked up that water bottle I dropped and you didn’t get angry at me even if I snapped at you. Honest to God, you are the best man that I ever met.”_

_What the hell did I do?_

She started panicking inwardly. She _knew_ what they did last night, it was pretty obvious given the circumstances and… marks and it was fine for her as long as they used protection, but…

 _But I_ **_admitted_** _to him. And it was so pathetic!_

She ran to her closet and grabbed clothes to cover herself up. She took a shower as she contemplated on whether or not go do anything about the situation. The majority of her shower was spent standing under the water motionlessly.

After half an hour, she decided to step out and get clothed. Afterall, they still had a job to attend to.

She picked up Zen’s clothing scattered on the ground and threw it to him, waking him up.

“Hey, we have rehearsals,” MC stated as she saw him rubbing his eyes in confusion then went to the kitchen to grab herself a cup of coffee

•••

Zen was confused as to why he woke up with his clothes being thrown at him and why he was woken up by someone in the first place.

He tried his best not to scream when he saw that even his underwear was in the pile that that someone had thrown at him.

 _Something_ happened to them. Something big. And he blamed himself for all of it for his lack of self-control until he racked his brain for an explanation.

_Okay so she told me that she liked me. And then kissed me. And things… happened._

_Why did I even let things happen?_

He groaned. He should’ve controlled himself, he should’ve thought better. He can’t blame alcohol, he still had control over his brain and body so he couldn’t justify his actions because he was drunk.

He stepped in the shower after seeing what time it was and got dressed before following her to the kitchen.

“We have to talk about it,” he said once he noticed that she was ignoring him, “MC?”

“I’m… we don’t, we don’t,” she started, “We don’t need to talk about it.”

Zen raised a brow then sat down in front of her, “We’re adults, MC, we’re supposed to talk about our problems to resolve them.”

MC pouted then her tears started welling up, “I, I, I-,”

“Wait, no, were you a… you know,” Zen said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know that it was your first time. I shouldn’t have done that I’m really really sorry.”

MC burst out crying, “No you dimwit! We didn’t rehearse at all! My manager will kill me for doing nothing all night.”

“You’re… worried because we didn’t practice?” Zen asked, “Not because of the… you know.”

MC glared at him through tears which wasn’t as intimidating as it was without the tears, “Yes. She wants me to be perfect for this musical because it’s an original and all that. She threatened to stop the worldwide production if this wouldn’t sell well.”

“Is that why you’re always mad at me?” Zen questioned, “Because you’re scared that your manager will stop your worldwide production?”

“You don’t understand,” she wailed, “She’s going to stop being my manager and I’m not going to get anywhere because all directors hate me. I can’t get directors mad at me if I’m not famous. I’m going to die jobless!”

Zen frowned, “This is… this is what I haven’t been seeing?”

“What do you mean?” She asked

“Well, remember last night when I said that my friend told me to give people second chances because I don’t know their story?” He asked, “I… think this is the side I’ve never gotten to see in you.”

She looked down at the ground and wiped her tears, “You probably don’t want to be my co-actor now. I’m just… too boring. I’ve got the looks, then what? I have a nasty attitude that everyone hates? My fans probably don’t like me too.”

Zen chuckled, “Are you serious? Our fanbases are freaking out because we’re doing a collaboration.”

“Still…”

“Still,” he mimicked her, “You’re the actress that they all love. Your fans are there because they see the beauty in you and don’t get me started when they defend you nonstop.”

MC kept quiet.

“Actually, my friends are going to watch me for the first time because I always told them about you,” he admitted, “Honestly, I kinda regret what I told them back then. I… see now why you’re like this and I totally understand. We may have started off not so well but I swear, we’re gonna end up as super close actors.”

“Are you serious? Even after I called for your understudy?” She asked

He chuckled, “I had confidence that you’d pick me over my understudy.”

“You are quite the cocky one,” she pointed out

“Wait, okay, we gotta take a photo of this opportunity,” Zen spoke then pulled his phone out

The two smiled at the camera and Zen immediately sent it to the RFA messenger with MC looking at his phone.

“Are those your friends?” She asked

“Yeah,” he responded then showed her a photo of the RFA at the last party, “We’re part of a fundraising organization and we hold parties every two years.”

“You look younger there,” she spoke, zooming in to Zen then turned to the real one, staring at him, “Why are you being so nice to me?”

Zen shrugged, “I… guess it’s because I know how hard it is to put your name out there. Don’t tell anyone, but I actually ran away during middle school and I had to work two jobs while doing musicals.”

“Why did you run away?” She asked

“It just didn’t feel right,” he answered then waved it off, “You don’t have to worry about me. You don’t have to think about it.”

There was a short silence.

“So about last night,” Zen hesitantly started then his phone rudely interrupted the comfort

MC put her phone to her ear, “Hello?”

_“Zen, MC, where are you? You’re late for your photoshoot!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> People, collectively say "uh-oh".


	22. Aaaand CUT! - 04

MC fanned her face every now and then, completely heated up by the sweater she was wearing. They were waiting for the other actors to finish their solo photoshoots so they waited there on the front seats. She was irritably hot since the aircon wasn’t turned on so Zen took the liberty to find a fan to soothe the heat even just for a little bit.

“Darling, why don’t you change your clothes,” the director told her once he got annoyed by her groans, “It’s hot why are you wearing a sweater.”

“B-b-because I’m Rosalind, remember? Rosalind is conservative. She’d never wear anything besides a sweater,” MC countered

“Darling your first costume is literally just a shirt,” the director spoke, “Change to a shirt.”

MC sighed then walked over to the rooms, dragging Zen along. She muttered words and profanities under her breath.

“Of all the places on my body, why my neck?” She grumbled

“What, you wanted me to put it somewhere else? If I recall it correctly, I _did_ put some where it’s hidden,” Zen responded

MC glared at him, “Help me solve this. There is no way I’m going out there with hickeys on my neck.”

Zen smiled at her, “Do you have your concealer with you?”

“I… don’t have concealer,” she responded

“You’re in luck, I still have some left. Wait here,” Zen strode over to his own room and met MC in hers

She sat on her chair, having already changed her top, looking at her appearance with a disapproving look. She pouted as she picked at her hair, waiting for Zen patiently.

“I’m here,” he said then placed the bottle of concealer on the table, “But it’s not the same shade as your skin.”

MC grabbed her makeup kit and opened it, showing the various colors of eyeshadow. She placed enough concealer on her palm and used her brush to get eyeshadow from the palette. She tapped it lightly, putting the eyeshadow on the concealer, then mixed it. She placed her open palm near Zen and turned to him.

“This is your fault so _you’re_ the one who’ll fix it,” she spoke

He placed some on his finger and dabbed it on her colored skin. He was focused but all he wanted, and needed, was time for the two of them when they were free. They had _a lot_ to talk about.

“We’re gonna talk about last night whether you like it or not,” he said, slowing down his progress on purpose, “You said you liked me, but you were drunk, were you serious about it?”

MC blushed, “I-I didn’t say such thing.”

“Yes you did, MC, and you remember it. You were drunk, not an amnesiac,” he responded, “I’m just asking if you’re serious about that.”

“What’s it to you if I am?” She asked

Zen frowned, “I don’t know. What do you want to do with it?”

“Of course I want my feelings reciprocated, dummy,” she muttered which made Zen laugh weakly

“You want it reciprocated? For real?” He asked

“Yeah,” she responded with minimal confidence in her voice, “But I don’t want it reciprocated just because something happened between us. I want it reciprocated because you like me too.”

“Hm, what if I don’t?”

“Then that’s fine. As long as you’re not intending to lead me on then tell me that you don’t want to. Just drop me off at the beginning,” she replied, “Be honest with me, Zen. Do you like me back or not?”

•••

As soon as the two made their way back to their seats, they were instantly bombarded by their director’s hushed words.

“The first buyers of your tickets were given an exclusive preview of your photoshoot and you two are up next,” he said, “So don’t argue up there, alright? For the sake of the musical.”

They nodded and were brought to the stage where the photoshoot was happening.

“Go Zen!”

“Woo! That’s our friend right there!”

Zen’s eyes widened and looked at the first buyers. Just as he suspected, it was Jaehee, Yoosung, and Seven and the two guys were yelling loudly while Jaehee watched the shoot.

“Those are your friends?” MC asked as Zen draped an arm around her waist, pulling her in

“Yeah,” Zen responded hesitantly before placing his face close to hers

“Okay, one, two, three,” the photographer yelled then there was a flash of light, “Next pose.”

The two stepped away from the other for a second before MC placed her head on Zen’s chest, looking at the camera while Zen put a mischievous look on his.

“The ones who are watching for the first time?” She asked

“Yeah,” he responded

She nodded in understanding and closed her eyes, and Zen pulled her chin up.

“It feels like you two are new people,” the photographer commented then took another shot

The leads smiled at the photographer before they were immersed to another pose, then another, then another, until it was over.

“Okay, let’s do solo photographs, MC, will you go first?” The photographer asked and she nodded

Zen went down the stage and made his way towards his ‘fans’. He grinned at them before he grabbed Yoosung and Seven by putting his arms around their napes and bringing them to the back.

“Zen, you’re holding us a bit too tightly,” Yoosung commented which only resulted into being held tighter, “Okay, what did we do wrong?”

“Who decided that it would be best to put a whole box of condoms in my bag?” Zen asked then turned to Seven

“Not me. I don’t do pranks like that, they’re a bit too plain. I prefer fake illnesses like what Yoosung has, POADCS,” Seven responded then they both looked over at Yoosung

“I, uh, i-it’s actually me,” he admitted and received a piercing glare from Zen, “Wait, okay? I wasn’t the one who bought it! Seven gave it to me when we were decorating your house on your birthday.”

“I gave it to you so you could make balloons!” Seven defended himself

“Why would I make balloons with those? Do you think I’m an idiot?” Yoosung asked

“No! It was April Fool’s,” Seven answered, “Obviously I wouldn’t let any chance slip by.”

Zen sighed, “Alright, fine. That’s cleared off now. I… also wanted to tell you something, Seven.”

“Ya?”

“I think I know what you meant when you said that I should give her a second chance,” Zen replied, “She’s actually really kind. She’s just pressured by her manager, that’s why she’s always mad at something. Can’t believe you knew that.”

“I’m sorry what?” Seven asked, raising a brow, “That’s not what I meant. I meant that she’s a total tsundere type of girl.”

Zen furrowed his brows before huffing and leaving his friends.

Seven laughed, “You thought it was something sentimental? Seriously?”

•••

 _Two_ _weeks_ _later_

MC entered her home and directly went to the kitchen to dump her groceries on the counter. In one plastic bag, she pulled out her week’s worth of chocolate and ice cream and placed them all in the fridge. She grabbed the other plastic bag and headed to the bathroom. She stocked up her medicine cabinet with pills to relieve cramps and the placed the packs of napkins and tampons beside it. According to her calendar, she had less than a day before her period arrived and she wanted to be prepared.

 _Operation: Red Days_ is in full swing.

She grabbed her phone and saw the texts coming from their dance instructor asking if she was feeling fine. He had told her to go home and rest up since she was always feeling tired and the instructor thought that maybe she was being too overworked which they all seemed to accept as the reason.

She plopped down on the couch and typed up her reply.

_I’m a bit fine now. Just got home. I’m sorry you had to cancel rehersals, I promise that the next session will be better._

She grabbed the remote sitting next to her and turned her television on, instantly finding the channel she despised but was still intrigued in: _Celebrity A! News_.

She knew that most of the claims in the news channel didn’t have much proof or were just hoaxes to catch people’s attention. Usually, they would give reports on whether this actor was seen in a bar during the weekends with a photo that was so blurry and obviously photoshopped so she didn’t know why people believed in such a fake channel.

But nonetheless, she watched.

Today’s news were a bit special to her since it was featuring her and the musical. It was only after a few minutes that the news anchors spoke about it with excitement.

“You bet this will be a good musical,” the male news anchor, Jin-Ju, spoke, “I mean, it features the actor Zen who has appeared at a musical entitled _Promiscuous Jalapeño_ , and the main lead star is MC! This was a collaboration made in Heaven.”

“I agree,” the woman, Sujin, responded, “And I heard that some of Zen’s fans saw them together at a fancy restaurant after work. Is this going from reel to real?”

MC rolled her eyes. The only place they went to besides the theater and her house was that convenience store where they met to go to her house. But she let the rumors be, afterall, this was a great way to promote the musical for free.

“And the photoshoot was hot, hot, hot,” Jin-Ju added, “I saw the preview of the official poster and let me say that MC looked like a total angel and Zen the total devil. This is going to be interesting.”

“Well if you match someone that looks as good as the other, you’re gonna have good results,” Sujin replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, “I’ll just say that I won’t be surprised if they’ve been secretly dating for years.”

“True. They’re just both incredibly good looking, okay? They match each other,” Jin-Ju said, “I can’t wait for their wed-.”

The television shut off and MC placed the remote down. She hugged her knees tightly to her chest and placed her chin on two of her knees.

She knew that she told him then that it would be fine, that she would be fine and there wouldn’t be any hard feelings but she had been forcing herself to do it and there was just no budging.

 _I can’t believe people can think that. At least_ **_they_** _can think that it’s a possibility. Me…_

She had remembered their conversation from weeks ago. No hard feelings? Shoved in her basement deep down where no one could see and no one could hear because she needed to. She needed no one to know that she wasn’t taking it all too lightly.

_“You want it reciprocated? For real?” He had asked her when she told him that she liked him despite being sober_

_“Yeah,” she had responded and now she wish that she hadn’t, “But I don’t want it reciprocated just because something happened between us. I want it reciprocated because you like me too.”_

_“Hm, what if I don’t?”_

_“Then that’s fine. As long as you’re not intending to lead me on then tell me that you don’t want to, just drop me off at the beginning,” she replied, “Be honest with me, Zen. Do you like me too or not?”_

_There was an agonizing silence between them. She just wanted his answer; yes or no, that simple. She wanted to know whether or not he wanted them to be more than their working relationship. It was simple, really, and he didn’t have to make it dramatic with the silence._

_“I-I’m sorry, MC,”_

_MC could’ve sworn that she heard her heart break but she had to keep it inside. This was what she wanted, him not leading her on and being honest with her._

_“It’s not you, I swear, the problem’s not you. It’s just that, I’m not ready for a relationship right now. I… I want to prove myself before I get to it,” He replied and she nodded, “If given the chance then why not? You’re a cool girl and you would understand what it’s like to be always busy and unavailable but, look, I’m serious about building my career right now. I’m not as popular as you are and I can only dream of going on a worldwide tour but you’re already there and I’m not and…”_

_“I’m really sorry, MC.”_

_She had nodded yet again as if it didn’t hurt her._


	23. Aaaand CUT! - 05

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The transition notes for this end to the next story is super long and took long to code but I love it~

The morning after, MC woke up and she was ready to face another week of battle with her insides. She didn’t know why or how her body hated her that much, especially since she had long periods and agonizing cramps during the first three days. She would often go home crying every time because of all the pain she felt.

But now she was determined and ready for all what she would face.

Her joy couldn’t be described by words when she woke up and the bed wasn’t stained red. She got to live another painless day.

The next morning was the same and the next and the next and the next until it turned into a week and MC was more worried than happy.

She looked down her stomach and shakily placed a hand over it.

_I’m not paranoid but…_

She jumped out of bed and put on a gray hoodie and dark black sunglasses. She pulled the hood over her head and grabbed her wallet from her bag, stuffing it in the pockets of her hoodie. She went to the nearest drug store and bit her lip as she made her way to the area of the pregnancy tests.

MC stared at the different types and brands of the tests, never knowing before that there were so many.

“Can I help you, miss?” A lady walked over to her

MC looked up at her and nodded, “Yeah. It’s been a week since I missed my period.”

The lady nodded, “How many times have you missed?”

“Um, this is actually the first,” MC responded, “I know that you think that I’m paranoid but I’m not paranoid! I just want to stabilize my career for the future but everything that’s been happening is not what I planned to and the guy I love rejected me and-.” MC cleared her throat then looked away, “I’m sorry.”

“Aren’t you that actress showing up as, what was that? Rosalind?” The lady asked as she looked at the selection

MC pulled her hoodie lower to cover her face.

The lady chuckled, “You went here yesterday to buy medicine wearing that and don’t worry, I understand.”

“Oftentimes I would get customers asking me what to do if they really were pregnant. A lot of them told me that their partners would dump them and many considered aborting the pregnancy,” She continued, “Most were teens but with your situation, I think you could handle it. Steady job and all that.”

MC frowned, “Not anymore if that’s the case.”

“Oh, yes, the acting industry _is_ harsh,” the lady responded then pulled one, “Will I ring this up for you?”

MC nodded, “Please don’t tell anyone that I’ve been here.”

“Honey, that’s basically my principle now,” she said then MC paid for the item

She shoved it in her pocket together with her wallet and sighed before leaving the store.

•••

Zen looked at his watch for the tenth time that hour. It was time for rehearsals and MC still hadn’t arrived. It wasn’t like her to be late to anything so this was new territory for all of them. He pulled his phone out and dialed her number only for her to arrive on the first ring.

He dropped the call then went over to her, “MC, the director’s angry, we have to start rehearsals.”

“Yeah, sorry, sorry,” she spoke then dropped her bag on one of the front seats

They ran up to the stage and Zen cleared his throat, trying to remember his lines.

“Rosalind,” he spoke, pulling MC out of her stupor

He kneeled in front of her and she flinched back, “You will make me the luckiest man if you would give me the honor of marrying you.”

He pulled out the prop velvet box and opened it, showing the prop ring. This made MC’s eyes tear up and the director to be even more mad.

“What now?” He asked, “Why are you crying? Rosalind doesn’t cry there, she says yes and they kiss!”

MC wiped her tears away and shook her head no, “Sorry. I’ll do better.”

Only her words weren’t done on the second time around.

“Wait, wait,” Zen said then stood up, grabbing her at her forearms, “Are you okay, MC? Is your manager pressuring you?”

MC broke down crying. She knelt to the ground and buried her face in her hands.

“Take five.” The director sighed

Zen helped MC up to her feet and brought her to her room. He wiped her tears away and found a chair to sit next to her.

“What’s the problem?” He asked softly

“Don’t talk to me like that!” She snapped, moving away from him

“What did I do wrong?” He questioned, “Are you okay? You’re not sick?” He placed a hand on her forehead to check

She pushed his hand away and turned around so her back was facing him, “We have a big problem.”

He raised a brow.

“I… my career, it’s, it’s ending, Zen, I can’t believe this,” she spoke, “It’s over. I’m over before I even started.”

“If it’s a problem that _we_ have, then I want to know and I want to help,” Zen responded, “Is it about the musical? Did someone know that we fought a lot before?”

“It’s bigger than that,” she whispered, “A-And I don’t think we’re both stable in life for this.”

“You sound as if there’s a rumor that we’re going to get married.” Zen laughed, “If there is something like that, let them be. It might actually be good for the musical and possible collaborations in the future.”

MC sobbed, “Zen do you think I’m stupid to worry about that? I may not have finished college but I know how to use my brain.”

Zen gave a low chuckle, “So what’s our big problem?”

MC turned around to face him. She took a deep breath then looked him in the eye, “Are you sure you’re ready for this? Don’t be hysterical, alright?”

“I’m calm, MC,” he responded

MC frowned, “I’m pregnant, Zen, and you’re the father.”

He breathed in sharply. His lower lip quivered as he drew it down slowly, “Wh-wh-what do you want to do with it?”

“Stop asking me what I want to do with things!” MC yelled, “If I knew what I wanted to do with it then I wouldn’t be here having this talk with you right now! Zen, I don’t know what I’m going to do and I don’t know what I _want_ to do! I’m telling you this so you’d have a choice in the matter.”

He shook his head weakly, “Can you give me until tonight to decide?”

MC looked away, “Do whatever you want.”

•••

_ZEN has entered the chatroom_

**Jumin Han:** How nice of you to join us.

 **707:** did you hear the latest rumor about you and MC?

 **ZEN:** Rumor? We didn’t tell anyone yet how can anybody know? I was just going to tell you…

 **707:** wow that was totally not the right time to say that;;

 **ZEN:** I need advice

 **ZEN:** If, say, I made a really big move on my personal life,

 **ZEN:** do you think I’d still have a career?

 **Jumin Han:** Well if that move is that you did something wrong in the eyes of the people like disobeying the law,

 **Jumin Han:** then it is possible for you to lose your career and be put in jail.

 **Jumin Han:** But if it is something like you have decided to date, then nothing will probably happen.

 **707:** figuratively speaking

 **707:** are you and MC together now and plan to reveal it?

 **ZEN:** …no

_Yoosung☆ has entered the chatroom_

**Yoosung☆:** Wow Jumin is giving Zen advice…

 **707:** then what’s the big thing you wanted advice on?

 **ZEN:** …

 **ZEN:** are contraceptives 100% effective?

 **Yoosung☆:** Well… based on what I’ve learned, no they’re not

 **Yoosung☆:** but there’s very little chance that they aren’t effective

 **ZEN:** How do they become ineffective?

 **Yoosung☆:** When used the wrong way or when used twice

 **Yoosung☆:** or it breaks, stuff like that

 **707:** why does my innocent Yoosung know so much about this~

 **Yoosung☆:** …I’m a medicine major…

 **Jumin Han:** Did you get a woman pregnant?

 **Yoosung☆:** **what?**

 **Yoosung☆:** no whu and howw ould i do thar?

 **Jumin Han:** I wasn’t talking to you.

 **707:** Zen, did you use the one that Yoosung put in your bag???

 **ZEN:** …why would you suddenly ask that?

 **707:** i… poked holes in all of them

 **ZEN:** **What?**

 **707:** See, Yoosung was supposed to make them into balloons but I poked holes in all of them

 **707:** so he wouldn’t make any

 **Jumin Han:** You’ve got your co-star pregnant. MC was it?

 **Yoosung☆:** I said I didn’t mean to put it there! I thought you wanted me to give it to him?

 **ZEN:** You did what?

_707 has left the chatroom_

_Yoosung☆ has left the chatroom_

**Jumin Han:** Why are you ignoring me?

 **ZEN:** yes

 **ZEN:** and I don’t know what to do

 **Jumin Han:** You don’t know what to do? Isn’t the thing that you should do obvious?

 **ZEN:** Easy for you to say. If you want a family, then you can have one

 **Jumin Han:** Well, as far as I see it, you are the only one stopping yourself from having a family.

 **ZEN:** We both have careers that aren’t stable yet…

 **Jumin Han:** You mean to say wanting to have your own family is enough to break down what you worked for?

 **Jumin Han:** And then what, if you decide to reveal it to everyone, you think that job offers will suddenly leave?

 **ZEN:** We’re not popular enough to include ourselves to these things

 **Jumin Han:** Who’s saying that you have to tell the whole truth?

 **ZEN:** Did you hit your head or something? What are you saying?

 **Jumin Han:** Nobody needs to know that it was unintentional.

 **Jumin Han:** Nobody needs to know that you once fought a lot and that you just met each other.

 **Jumin Han:** Let’s say that I would be seen with a woman in a club, not that it will ever happen, and this woman is flirting with me, and I brought her home,

 **Jumin Han:** This is the first time we met but people took photos of it and are spreading it everywhere,

 **Jumin Han:** Do you suppose I’ll say that it is our first time meeting or say that we have been secretly dating?

 **Jumin Han:** Nobody knows what we do behind close doors, why couldn’t it stay like that?

 **Jumin Han:** That isn’t how it works for people like us.

 **ZEN:** People like us?

 **Jumin Han:** People who are always seen by the others. Now if you’ll excuse me.

_Jumin Han has left the chatroom_

•••

“Hello, this is Kwon Young-Ae. I am busy at the moment. Leave a message after the beep.”

_“Uh, h-hi, Manager Kwon, I… I wanted you to know that I’ve decided to stop._

_I want to retire from the theater life. Maybe I really wasn’t cut out for this._

_I’m planning to be this production to be the last and… and I hope you’ll find a better one for the worldwide musical._

_I’m sorry that I’m saying this in such a short notice but… but things happened and I wanted to prove to myself that I am responsible and that I can stand on my own two feet._

_I’m thankful that you became my manager and I’m thankful for all your efforts but right now, being somebody I’m not isn’t what I need._

_I need to be myself and pull myself together…_

_I… I’m sorry for the things that you will hear from the media. I’m going to be a better person, I promise. No more snapping at my co-workers and all that._

_So this is goodbye. Thank you for everything, Manager Kwon. I hope you’ll meet and prosper better actresses._

•••

MC sat at the front seat next to the director as they watched the actors on stage. She was out of the scene and was actually banned from doing any scenes unless she had her full focus and attention to the musical itself.

And besides, Zen wasn’t even around so there wasn’t much scenes she could rehearse.

During the time they watched, she found herself unconsciously touching her belly accompanied with a small smile. She would glance down and furrow her brows, so intrigued and amazed that a new life was forming inside of her.

_Truly amazing._

Most of the time, when the actors danced and sang and the director yelled and instructed, she would often find herself daydreaming.

She would see herself carrying a little baby girl in her arms and snuggling her close to keep her warm. She saw herself with an adorable baby boy that tugged at her hair whenever she got close to his face.

She would see a girl trying to walk and stumble many times as she made her way to her mother and a little boy try on his first bike, complete with safety gears of course.

Somehow, it sounded so plain and domestic compared to her rather loud and colorful life but with all the colors of the world muted, she could focus on the color that the kid brought to her and it felt alright in the end. It felt warm and calming. Maybe retiring from her type of life to a new, calmer one, was for the best.

_Can’t wait._

“-C, MC are you even listening?”

She snapped out of her daydream to see the director calling her. She looked over at him and nodded.

“I said, you have a visitor,” he stated and she stood up to go outside

Once the door opened, she was greeted by the sight of a bouquet of pink and red roses shoved nearly to her face. She pushed it away lightly to see who was giving it.

“Zen,” she spoke weakly, “What’s this for?”

“You said you wanted me to decide what I wanted to do,” he replied, “And this is what I want to do. My… friend… told me to be responsible enough and, and he made it clear that it isn’t simple to break our careers.”

“We’ll still have it even if we’re parents,” he continued, “And I wouldn’t accept it if my first child grew up without a father so I’m deciding that I’m staying with you.”

“Okay, wait, hold up,” MC said, “This is… fine and all that but you’re doing this because I’m having your child? You want to be with me because of the baby?”

“Yeah, I thought I made that clear,” he pointed out

She shook her head, “Then my answer is no.”

“What? What do you mean ‘no’?” He asked

“I’m not accepting this… proposal just because you knocked me up,” she replied, “I can do it by myself. I can raise a child on my own but I will never accept it if somebody is trapped in a situation like this just because the girl’s having their child.”

Zen facepalmed, “What would it take for you to accept it?”

“Be sincere. Marriage isn’t just because you’re going to have a child,” MC answered, “I want you to do it just because of me, not because of what happened to us but because of what _you_ feel about _me_.”

Zen looked up then laughed at her, “You mean you thought that I didn’t like you back? After all this time, do you think I rejected you?”

MC furrowed her brows, “Sh-shut up! And you made it clear that you didn’t like me back.”

“Oh yeah? Then how’d I say no?” He smirked

“Well, you said that you’re sorry.” She crossed her arms, “And you said that _I’m_ not the problem.”

“And which part of that is the rejection part?” He asked, tilting his head to the right

“The… the, uh,”

“None,” he interrupted, “I didn’t say that I didn’t like you back, I only said that I wanted to focus on building what I can before having a relationship.”

He pulled her close and hugged her tight, “Hah, MC, why do you do this to yourself? If you asked me again later that day, you could’ve known that I changed my mind.”

“What?!” MC yelled, “Do you always have to make things so dramatic? Why didn’t you just tell me then?”

“Because you said not to lead you on,” he answered, “But I mean, _you_ were the first one to lead _me_ on. First you cared for me, then you admitted that you liked me, you dared to release the beast, and now,” he said then let out a happy sigh, “now I’m going to open up a new life with you.”

MC’s eyes started to water. She drew her arms upward and put them around his neck, pulling him closer, “You really mean it?”

“Why wouldn’t I? It’s not everyday that I meet a woman who’s practically like me,” he replied, “But I want to get to know you even more before we officially become family. Will you let me date you, MC?”

“This isn’t Armin speaking, right?” She asked

“Nope, all Hyun Ryu here,”

“Good. Then yes, yes I’d love to go on a date with you.”

“Great! I also have a plan on how to not destroy our careers over this,” he said, “It needs a lot of acting and a lot of press.”

•••

“This is why I do not believe in living together before marriage,” Jumin noted as he fixed his cuffs

Yoosung laughed at him then nudged him lightly, “Would you not? It’s their wedding day. Just give them one day.”

Jumin nodded, “And who said I wasn’t?”

“Wow, you guys have got to see MC in that wedding dress,” Seven announced as soon as he entered the room, “She looked better than me and the baby bump isn’t showing at all.”

“She’s six months pregnant,” Yoosung noted, “How can that be?”

“I, God Seven, am a master of disguises, remember?” Seven asked

“Zen has been in the bathroom for too long,” Jumin said as he looked at the clock near the door

Yoosung knocked at the door, “Hey, Hyung, get out of there, it’s almost time for your wedding.”

“I don’t feel so good,” Zen said as he walked out of the bathroom

“Just the nerves talking,” Seven waved it off

“Yeah, say that when you’re in my position,” Zen replied

“Uh, correction, I _was_ at your position,” Seven stated, “I once went undercover as the bride in a wedding. I almost got married to a syndicate!”

“Wait, really?” Yoosung asked, “How? How’d you keep it up for so long?”

“Well, hamster Yoosung, the story is long and we don’t have much time,” Seven started then there was a knock on the door

Jaehee peered inside, obviously alarmed, “Why is Zen still here? MC is going to walk down the aisle any minute!”

They all ran towards the altar at their quickest speeds, well, all except Jumin who walked eith poise and composure and had the audacity to bring a glass of champagne.

•••

“I’m so excited,” MC said despite the fact that there wasn’t anyone else with her

She placed a hand over her baby bump, which wasn’t very obvious thanks to Seven’s tricks, and smiled weakly.

“This is it. We’ve lied about how long we’ve been dating and how long we were actually engaged and this is it,” she said then took a deep breath, “Hang in there, baby, this is gonna be a good ride.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Unknown has entered the chatroom_
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  **Unknown:** ted_so# *long
> 
>  **Unknown:** !lo# $wai_--
> 
>  **Unknown:** ...
> 
>  **Unknown:** %wated_l@m
> 
>  **Unknown:** .
> 
>  **Unknown:** \---------
> 
>  **Unknown:** I am
> 
>  **Unknown:** going to
> 
>  **Unknown:** corrupt you
> 
>  
> 
> _MC2 has entered the chatroom_
> 
>  
> 
>  **MC2:** Are you going on about the glitchy typing again?
> 
>  **MC2:** Not gonna work, ya know
> 
>  **MC2:** Stop scaring everybody, dinner's ready
> 
>  **Unknown:** ...
> 
>  **MC2:** It's bread if you don't get your butt down here in ten seconds
> 
>  
> 
> _Unknown has left the chatroom_
> 
>  
> 
>  **MC2:** Oh, you're still here
> 
>  **MC2:** You wanna know how I got this close to the dork?
> 
>  **MC2:** It's up next~
> 
> _MC2 has left the chatroom_


	24. Daring the Devil - 01

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ### SPOILERS TO SEVEN'S BIRTHNAME, WHO UNKNOWN IS, UNKNOWN'S BIRTHNAME, HOW THEY ARE RELATED, AND SECRET ENDINGS 1 & 2
> 
> Omg I have the urge to entitle the whole thing as "Dating the Devil" instead of "Daring the Devil" because of my typo just now hahaha so I think my title for this will be like "I (Don't) Know You / You (Don't) Know Me"
> 
> I present to you:
> 
> Da(r/t)ing the Devil!
> 
> Also, this is MC with a background story!

Seven billion, four hundred ninety eight million, six hundred thousand, the rough estimate of the population of the living. So many destinies, so much happiness and joy and so much hope to what was to be a bright future but of all these people, MC was just meant to be the one with so much problems and misfortune.

_Why does it have to be that way, though?_

MC frowned then wiped the sweat going down her brows. She watched her surroundings as she sat next to the street, the convenience store’s roof giving her shade.

Her eyes scanned the people around you; shady and obviously looking as if they had no plans to do good. There were the crowd of men getting drunk at the middle of the day. They would order bottles upon bottles of beer until they passed out and laugh loudly like they were telling each other the the funniest stories.

There were also the people who looked like they would corner you up at an alley and get every possessing that you had. With their bodies completely tattooed up and looking like complete delinquents, no one even dared pass in front of them.

There were also what looked like rabid animals. There were huge dogs who would growl and bark whenever someone would pass by the house of their owner. There were also cats at the ends of alleys who would hiss and glare at the people which usually sent the people running.

Then there were the passers-by who were clueless and afraid. They were so cautious as they passed by the street. They held on to their bags tightly and quickly walk until they got out of the street.

_They’re wrong though._

MC stood up and started walking down the street slowly and casually, seeing a brunette with her head down who was focused on her phone. She didn’t look like the people who passed by every now and then. She wore a sweater which MC questioned because of the heat.

MC shook her head and smiled weakly, _Totally wrong about those people._

The drunk men were professionals on their day-off. MC wouldn’t see them there daily, just once a month, mostly on the twenty-ninth of the month. They worked hard and they lived in a developed community with great houses and even greater families. They were just always there because the owner of the stand that they drink at was their former co-worker who decided to quit his job and start his own business.

The delinquents who were tattooed and looked like they would beat the living daylights out of anyone were the kindest men. MC often saw them donating to charity and helping beggars. Once, she saw them bring a bunch of children from an orphanage off for a small field trip and lunch afterwards. They were absolute sweethearts and gentlemen. They were often seen standing as if they were waiting for their next victim but in reality, they were the helpers of a sweet old lady that lived nearby; they were just outside since the maids were cleaning the house and wanted everyone out for the time being.

The rabid animals? They were mistreated pets and dumped there. The dogs were retired military dogs and some were bomb sniffers who had injuries on the battle field and were deemed too old for service. The cats were abandoned as kittens and they were left to grow alone but they were the locals’ pets who protected their small and odd neighborhoods from rats and pests.

And then there was MC, the girl always sitting at the convenience store. She looked like she was the only person to be trusted around the neighborhood.

She took a deep breath and wriggled her hands.

And the people were still mistaken.

With one quick run and grab, the brunette’s phone was off her hands but now on MC’s. MC ran as quickly as she could and looked back to see that the woman had started running to her, not calling for help.

MC let out a laugh then stopped to take a breath. The woman, and what seemed like two policemen, ran closer to MC but MC just grinned at them, holding her hands up.

They caught up and MC turned to them, “Alright, you caught me. Cuff me.”

A policeman pulled a pair of handcuffs out and locked it on MC’s left hand.

She winced in pain and pulled her wrists, “Hey, hey, watch it. I don’t suppose you’d hold the name thing for me while I’m holding my mugshot?”

She took a look at the screen of the phone and saw the texts that the girl and this “Unknown” sent to each other.

“You were going to an apartment just because some guy told you?” She asked, raising a brow as she looked at the owner of the phone, “Why would you do that?”

The policemen turned towards the stammering girl as she supplied her very unsure answer. As soon as the girl and the police were distracted, MC ran away quickly and turned left into an alley before they could catch her.

She read the messages and saw that the “Unknown” guy had sent her the apartment address and the girl was so willing to do whatever she was told.

She scoffed, “She’d probably like a guy who planted a bomb on where she lives or something. Too trusting.”

Her head bumped onto something and she looked up to see a man with white hair and teal eyes glaring at her.

“Why did you steal her phone?” He asked with a low and angry voice

MC smirked, “And what’s it to you? She your girlfriend? You should probably tell her to not follow what strange men tell her.”

“I’m not her boyfriend,” he replied, “I’m the one instructing her to go to the apartment.”

She nodded then crossed her arms, “You said you were abroad.” MC gasped deeply, “No way! You were going to kidnap her!”

“Shut up!” He told you, “I’m going to turn you in.”

The two of them could hear the quick steps approaching. He looked over MC’s shoulder to see the silhouette of the three people chasing her.

_Click_

He looked down to see his hand restrained by the other half of the handcuffs. His eyes widened and he looked at MC incredulously.

“Okay, turn me in,” she replied, “Then I’ll tell them that _you’re_ the one who’s texting this girl and you’re planning to kidnap her you bad man.”

He groaned in frustration, “I’m not kidnapping her! And besides, they won’t believe you. You have no proof.”

She raised a brow, “Oh look, mister policemen, it’s my partner-in-crime. He’s helping me hide so we could make an escape. We’re actually taking turns on snatching phones and it was my turn. Sorry, partner, we got caught.”

He glared at her as he saw that the girl and police was at the end of the alley. He pulled at MC and he started running. She matched his pace and the two turned left and right until he stopped at a black car that was pretty old.

“Cool, you have your own ride,” MC pointed out

He pushed her into the driver’s seat then pushed more until she sat at the passenger’s. He started driving with her left hand near to his right.

“So where are you taking me?” She asked

“Paradise,” he answered

“Really? When kidnappers take victims, they usually bring them to the forest or the mountains to chop them up and spread their bodies everyw-, why are you driving towards the mountain entrance?” MC asked, brows furrowing in worry, “You’re not gonna kill me, are you?”

“You want to?” He asked nonchalantly, “I can think of worse deaths than chopping yours parts and throwing it everywhere.”

MC gulped, “So… by ‘paradise’ do you mean your… um.” She glanced down for a second before turning back to him

“I’m not interested in you that way,” he gritted his teeth even if there was a very light flush on his pale skin

_Out of embarassment, maybe?_

“At least we made that clear,” she said then did her best to lean back to the seat even with a dangling hand, “So, again, where are you taking me? It’d be best to go to a locksmith, you know? We could say some weird explanation then we’d both be free and I can sell this phone and I’d get to eat another day.”

He kept quiet. He drove off to who knows where and there was a little part of her that’s saying that she should jump out of the car.

_Maybe I trapped myself in this situation._

“You’re gonna be my assistant,” he spoke after you two reached a clearing, showing a huge castle in the mountains

She gasped in awe as she looked up at the towering infrastructure hidden by the mountain.

“Cool, I get a job!” MC grinned at him

He parked the car at the side of the castle where there were other cars and pulled her with him as he got off. MC followed him, it wasn’t as if she had a choice in it, as he entered the building through a side door. He lead her through narrow ways void of people and followed him down the stairs.

“Is this where you work?” She asked him but there was no answer

He just walked and walked and walked until the majestic atmosphere of the place was gone and all she had were steel walls and an even harder metal door where he stopped at. He pressed his hand at a pad next to it and it slid open.

He brought her over to a room with three monitors. MC followed suit and saw what the monitors were showing and gasped as she realized what it was.

He walked to his table and grabbed a screwdriver. He started picking at the lock until both got out of the handcuffs but she couldn’t focus on that, she focused on the monitors.

There were so many views from all over the city. It was as if he had the access to all the CCTVs in the city and she didn’t know whether to feel afraid or amazed. On one hand, he hacked into the government system and no one knew about it so that was pretty cool. But on the other hand, it was freaky that he had access to every eye in the city.

He sat on the computer chair then switched the middle screen to some sort of code.

“So what am I gonna do as your assistant?” She asked, looking for a place to sit down

He swiveled his chair and turned towards her, “Because you made me lose my target for the RFA, then you’re gonna have to pay for it.”

She sat down lazily and nodded, “Yeah, and? You’re gonna tell me that you’ll torture me, yadda, yadda, yadda.”

He furrowed his brows, “Why would I torture you? I don’t have time to torture you!”

MC sighed and rolled her eyes, “Really? Then what am I doing here? You kidnapped me, told me that I’m your ‘assistant’, whatever that meant to you, and now you’re telling me that you’re not gonna torture me.”

He scoffed then turned back to the screen.

“Wow,” she said then sighed dramatically, “what a scary kidnapper. I, the hostage, am totally afraid of you. Please release me or whatever.”

He groaned then turned back to her, “You have nothing to do here. Leave the room and find something to do.”

“What? Like clean your house?” MC asked

“Just go do whatever you want!” He yelled, “But don’t bother me.”

He turned back around and furiously typed.

“What if what I want to do is bother you?” She asked

“You shut your mouth or I’ll staple it,” he told her sharply

MC laughed, “Alright, sheesh, tough crowd. I’m gonna go… um, explore your super secret dungeon where you keep all your nasty secrets.”

She stood and left the room. She took a look around and saw many other doors leading to many other places. All in all, the place didn’t look as shabby as its owner.

“Don’t go in my room!” MC heard him yell from, what she now has dubbed, the computer room

“I wasn’t even planning to,” replied, “Why? Are you keeping a body there or something? You afraid that I’ll turn you in?”

“Why do you not shut up?” He growled then stood up before slamming the door closed

MC gave a low chuckle and decided to sit on the couch that was one of the things that looked comfortable. She sunk in the furniture, feeling and enjoying how soft it was. She pulled the phone out of her pocket and scrolled through the messages and photos of the girl before factory resetting it.

_Mine now._

“Hey kidnapper!” MC called then placed her feet up on the coffee table in front of you, “What’s the WiFi password?”


	25. Daring the Devil - 02

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh revelations~

It had been exactly an hour since he had taken MC to his home but absolutely nothing was happening. She expected that she’d be tied up with something to keep her mouth shut as he deprived her of food and water for days but her kidnapper had completely ignored ger and went off to do his thing.

It was certainly rude of him though. Of course there was the fact that he didn’t actually kidnap her, he just didn’t have a choice but to bring her along. And besides, if he _didn’t_ kidnap her, he should at least know how to treat a guest at his house.

MC sighed for the fifteenth time then finally stood up, pocketing her new phone, then made her way to his computer room. She peeked inside for a second or two before entering.

She poked his shoulder but he was still focused on his job. She poked him again which only resulted to him swatting her finger away. She huffed then pushed him lightly.

“I can kill you right now,” he told MC

“Yes,” she replied, “And why haven’t you?”

He turned around to glare at her, “Do you not understand that I am busy and dangerous and that you should shut up and be satisfied in one corner?”

MC frowned, “Look, kid, I’ve been through hell and back and all I see now is this scrawny little kid who needs sunlight is having a tantrum because he’s awake past his afternoon naptime.”

He stood up abruptly, mere inches in front of her face, then grabbed something from his computer table and pointing it at her head.

Upon inspection, she saw that he had pointed a gun to her head but she still had yet to flinch.

“So… what? Am I supposed to be scared now?” She raised a brow, “You’re making it a point that I see that you’re taller than me well look here, hot shot, you _may_ be taller than me but I am so much more capable of pulling that trigger than you do.”

He groaned loudly before slamming the gun back down, “What do you want?! I am telling you to shut up why do you not shut up?!”

She flinched at the tone of his voice, “Well sorry for wanting to make sure that you didn’t die at the computer table! You don’t have to yell at me, you know!”

She crossed her arms before stomping out of the room, good mood completely destroyed. She went off to find the kitchen for a glass of water. She had to cool herself down or she _was_ going to beat this guy to a pulp.

_Who does he think he is? He thinks that he’s so good and so scary. He’s not, he looks weak._

“Just let me out of here so we can be off to our own lives!” She yelled when she found the kitchen

She grabbed a glass and poured herself some water. She drank it quickly then rummaged through his fridge which didn’t have so much. He had some leftover take-outs, a piece of cake that was probably rotten already by the looks of it, some sort of juice…?

You know what? He had nothing edible in the fridge!

MC frowned and sighed. The last time she actually ate was a few hours ago so she was pretty hungry now. She wanted to call him to the kitchen but he just yelled at her. MC could tolerate anyone hurting her physically, they could heal easily, but yelling at her and being rude? No way.

She closed the door and took a look at his pantry. Maybe there was bread or something?

And well she were in luck! There _was_ bread and it wasn’t spoiled yet.

MC placed a piece in her mouth and grabbed two plates and put two slices each. She headed out and went back to his computer room. She shoved it on his table, pushing the keyboard slightly to place the plate properly.

“Eat,” said, “I think you’re hungry that’s why you’re like that,so eat.”

He pushed it away, “I hate bread.”

“Well too bad. You’re either gonna buy something else or you’re gonna eat that,” she replied, “Don’t be picky. It’s bread, nobody hates bread.”

“Well _I_ do,” he pointed out, “And I’ll eat when I want to.”

“So you’re gonna let your hostage starve just because _you_ don’t want to eat?” She asked

“There’s food in the fridge,” he responded, “Do it yourself.”

“No! There non-,”

He shot up and marched towards the until part of the room. She could hear chains being dragged across the floor and saw that he was holding chains in his hands. He stalked towards her and grabbed her arms, using the cuffs on the chains to circle around her wrists. He pulled at the other end of the chain and she could feel herself being dragged upwards to the right.

She looked over to the ceiling and saw that it draped down the locks at the ceiling. He dragged it, bringing her up near the ceiling, which wasn’t all that high, until her feet weren’t touching the ground anymore.

He tied it over somewhere at the unlit area then sat back down on his seat.

“Hey! Let me go! I haven’t eaten yet!” She shouted at him

There was a knock on the steel door that caught your attentions. It silenced the whole place until there was another series of knocks.

He stood up and went to the front door. The man opened it and saw someone wearing a deep red robe.

“Saeran, The Savior wants see you,” the visitor spoke

“I’m heading there,” he replied

“Hey babe!” Both men were startled by the slurred voice of a woman coming from inside, “We’re not done playing strip poker yet!”

MC heard the door close again and the footsteps come closer. He stood there with a glare on his face but it didn’t bother her, it wasn’t as if he never did that before, but it turned into wide eyes as soon as he saw her sitting down on the ground with her bread.

“How did you-,”

“You left the screwdriver nearby,” she interrupted, “I failed, like, three times and got scraped a lot. Do you know the things they do in movies where they use their feet to grab stuff and throw it to their hands? Dude it was so hard! How many takes do they take?”

He groaned in frustration as he left the room again.

“Hey Sae!”

He turned around with a confused look.

“Sorry, thought it sounded good but eh,” she added, “Where are you going?”

“The Savior wants to meet me. Just, just stay still alright?” He responded then left the house

•••

The moment Saeran got back, MC was already passed out on the couch. His jacket was draped on her to keep herself warm and he scoffed at it. He really wanted to grab it from her.

_But I know the feeling of sleeping in the cold…_

He shook his head. That wasn’t the reason.

_No, she’d wake up and be loud again._

He headed back to the computer room and started hacking another bunch of phones that had recently been downloaded with an app.

She shifted on the sofa once she heard a noise coming from the computer room. It was the typing sound again and she didn’t know why anyone would still be up on their computers at three in the morning.

MC stood from her makeshift bed, the guy’s jacket draped over her upper body, as she dragged herself to the computer room. She went over next to him, a chair trailing behind her. She placed the chair next to him and sat down.

“Why are you still up?” She whispered, “You have to sleep. Your eyebags are horrible.”

He sighed, “Why do you care?”

MC frowned as she closed her eyes and placed her head on his shoulder which he quickly shrugged off, “I saw medication in your cabinet. Why are you taking those?”

“Just let me work in peace,” he replied

“Saeran, why are you taking brainwashing drugs?” She asked

He raised a brow, “I’m not. That’s my medicine for headaches.”

She shook her head, “I’m a doctor of pharmacy, I know drugs when I see them. You’re lying.”

He pushed her away weakly when she were getting too close, “Yeah, and I’m a pilot.”

“I’m a real doctor,” she replied, “And I’m sleepy. I’m going back to bed.”

He didn’t say a word when she got up and dragged yourself back to the couch.

MC was about to lie back down on the bed but the door to his room was opened just a tad bit and the curiosity was nagging at her. It was rude to enter someone else’s room but she was just going in there to get a blanket and some pillows and then get back out to her couch.

What she supposed was a short trek to get pillows then go to sleep was interrupted when she saw what was inside of his room. The room wasn’t lit very well so her eyes had to adjust to the darkness before she could see anything.

She pulled out her phone and opened the flashlight, giving her light without using the bulb in the room. Her eyes scanned the area.

There was the bed which was her main focus then next to the bed was a bottle of the same kind that she had seen earlier at the bathroom. It was those brainwashing drugs that he had claimed was his medication for headache. Clearly he didn’t know what he was talking about but he was equally confused about it.

Next to the bottle was a thick book with the cover torn up and the pages turning to sepia. The age of the book was so obvious that the words on the cover was barely readable so she disregarded it.

She pointed the flashlight to the mirror which was shattered with traces of blood at the edges of the broken fragments.

Over to the wall next to the mirror were lots of paper taped to it. The paper were crumpled, some had torn edges, some had burnt ones. Messy scribbles of someone who was either illiterate or in a hurry were all on the paper and MC could read only a few parts of it, most words not making much sense or using the wrong strokes to complete a legitimate thought.

_Rika told me that she would save me from_

MC couldn’t read the last word properly but she had a hunch that it was a recurring idea since there were identical characters to it in other paper.

_Rika said that Saeyoung left me. I don’t believe her._

_Saeyoung will be back. He loves me._

_Rika said Saeyoung lied. She said that he threw me away because I am burden._

MC frowned at the statements. Now she wasn’t a psychologist or a psychiatrist but it was so obbious that Saeran had problems and that this Rika and Saeyoung were the causes of it.

_I want to believe that he’s coming back._

_Last night I dreamt that…_ MC couldn’t read the middle parts, _maybe she was right. Maybe Saeyoung did leave me._

_I hate him. I hate Saeyoung. What kind of twin abandons his twin?_

MC gasped at this.

_He will never be back._

_He left me. He left me to die with that woman!_

_I changed my hair color and my eye color but I still see him in myself everyday. I hate it._

MC bit her lip at the one that was the centermost piece.

_I’m going to get revenge._

MC heard the computer chair that Saeran was using lose its sitter. She grabbed the pillows and blanket before he could catch her entering his room and got out. She laid back down on the couch, now comfortable, but even with the softest pillows and blankets, she couldn’t seek refuge from what she saw and read.

Saeran was troubled and he badly needed help. But how can one thief even help someone who was so clearpy brainwashed?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~~So much revelations~~~


	26. Daring the Devil - 03

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah omg this was late for about 14 and a half hours I didn't even notice orz

It was almost dawn when Saeran had decided to give up. No one was as gullible as the first woman. Nobody replied to him, not even a “You have the wrong number”. So he settled into frustration. He needed to get the RFA quickly while they were distracted by their own lives.

But when he had used his phone to check on the RFA messenger, he found himself blocked and unable to enter.

He connected his phone to the computer to somehow give him access to no use.

The algorithm had changed again and it would take weeks for him to study it. He didn’t have weeks left, he was given eleven days and now, he didn’t.

_It’s all because of that woman._

He huffed then decided to have a background check on the woman who took camp in his living room. A few seconds later, everything about her from academic preschool records to recent medical records came up.

“She wasn’t kidding,” Saeran mumbled as he read the woman’s profession which was doctor of pharmacy

Saeran furrowed his brows when he came across a police record that showed her staying in jail for two months.

“Murder,” he spoke, “That’s why she isn’t scared at all.”

He closed the monitor when he felt something drape on his back. He quickly turned around to see MC standing there, eyes teary.

“Yes I was convicted for murder but I didn’t kill anybody,” she stated, her voice shaky, “My license was taken from me and I didn’t know what else I could do.”

“I stayed in there for two whole months and nobody bothered to visit me, not even once,” she explained, “A-and I had to use my entire life savings to bail myself out but I never did anything wrong. I never killed anybody!”

She sobbed and sunk to the ground, “A-and now you’re doing a background check on me on who I was before this. Why don’t you just bring me back where you got me?!”

There was a loud knock on the door and before Saeran could go over to MC, he made his way to the door, opening it.

“I heard you brought a woman,” MC could hear a woman saying, “Why aren’t you bringing her for cleansing?”

“She is my assistant,” Saeran answered, “I don’t think she’s going to have a life outside of this so what’s the point?”

“Saeran, are you disobeying me?” The woman asked

“S-Savior, I was… the only people we should cleanse are the ones who are worthy,” he replied

The next thing MC knew, steps were making their way to the computer room and before she could hide, there was a blonde woman at the doorway staring at her.

“Saeran, what happened to the task I gave you?” The woman asked

“Savior, I need more time,” Saeran answered

“I gave you enough time,” the woman’s green eyes darkened, “Do you wish to stay here further?”

“Yes, Savior,”

“Then do your job and let her submit to us,” the woman, ‘Savior’, ordered

“I can’t,” Saeran responded, “She killed someone before.”

MC frowned, furrowing her brows. She’d literally just explained it to him about five minutes ago and he looked like he understood so why was he saying these things?

She wanted him to look at her, to tell her “I’m trying to save you” through eye contact but it wasn’t there and he didn’t even so much as turn to her for a glance.

Well… who was she to expect that from someone she met not twenty four hours ago?

“Exiled,” the woman spoke clearly which made Saeran tremble, “I will give you until dawn to leave or I will have no choice but to forcibly get you out.”

“Savior, please,” Saeran said

“Saeran,” she said sternly, “I have given you enough chances and enough time and this is what you do? You bring a murderer to our paradise? Until you go back to the ways of Mint Eye, I can’t keep you here. You might do harm to the other disciples.”

The woman left without another word and all the two had was the silence. MC couldn’t help but send sharp glances towards Saeran at the betrayal he did.

“I told you that I didn’t kill anybody,” she spoke shakily through tears

He slammed the door shut, “Do you not understand that it was to keep you from cleansing?!”

She stood up and forced her way to the door, to get out of the place, but he wasn’t letting her.

“Who told you to leave?” He snapped at her

“Oh so you’re mad at _me_ because you didn’t do your job?” She yelled at him

He grabbed her by the throat and pinned her against the door harshly. He gritted his teeth as he spoke, “Weren’t _you_ the one who snatched the woman’s phone? Weren’t you the one to make a noise when I was being called? Now tell me, who was the one who ruined my job? Me or you?”

MC’s hands grabbed at his, pulling at it, tugging it to remove it from her throat but she couldn’t. His hold on her was tight and she could feel herself choking for air. All the pulling made her weaker and weaker by the second and with the lack of oxygen, her body drained of energy quickly.

“Kill me,” she rasped out, “Just kill me if you’re gonna do this.”

“Well maybe I will,” he replied then tightened his hold

•••

MC woke up to the soft sound of an engine. The scene in front of her was a hazy white blur with green blobs every now and then. She rubbed her eyes which made everything a little bit better. She turned to her left and saw a light colored blur just like the one in front of her, but this one had reds and blacks.

“Am I in Heaven?” MC asked weakly, unable to move your body fully

“I’m driving you to hell,” the blur answered

She squinted, “Saeran…? Why are you here?”

He sighed, “You’re not dead. Well, not yet.”

MC frowned then hugged herself, suddenly becoming conscious, “Why’d you do that?”

Saeran grumbled, “Haven’t I told you that it was to save you?”

“No, not that.” MC shook her head then faced the road ahead, “Why did you look at my background?”

“I can’t be curious?” He asked

MC frowned, “Well what are you planning to do now? Why don’t you just let me out so you could go back to your so-called paradise?”

Saeran sighed, “You never shut up.”

“I’m asking you, what’s your plan? You’re kicked out and you don’t have anywhere else to go. What will you be? A beggar? With that attitude, you’re lucky if someone will give you a cent,” she responded, “You don’t know how to live outside of that hellhole and you have zero idea on how to be in the real world. I won’t be surprised if I see you even thinner than you are now in a few days.”

He groaned, “You sound like _you’re_ any better.”

“At least _I_ know how to make a proper living,” she replied

“And stealing is proper now?” He commented

“At least I don’t go around texting woman to go to some shady apartment,” MC retorted

“Why do you even steal for a living? There are other jobs,” Saeran muttered

“When you’ve been imprisoned there wouldn’t be much,” MC replied, “And if you’re thinking that I become a prostitute instead then don’t worry, I’ve been there.”

Saeran huffed and kept quiet.

MC took a side glance at him, “You _do_ know that I have a house, right?”

•••

“Mom! Dad! I’m home!” MC called as she slammed the door open

“Your parents are home?” Saeran asked, stepping away from the door

“No, I live alone,” she answered, “I just do that everytime I get home.”

Saeran took cautious steps as he entered the house. He followed MC around as she put Saeran’s box of things down next to the door.

“Do you want something to drink?” She asked on her way to the kitchen

MC furrowed her brows when she received no answer and peeked at him who was standing by the doorway.

“What are you doing?” MC raised a brow

He turned to her, “Oh you were talking to me? I thought you just say that always.”

“Okay, be honest with me,” MC started, “Do you have interactions with other people besides that hellhole?”

“Not much,” he responded, “Just that other girl whose phone you took.”

“We’re still talking about that?” MC rolled her eyes

“You say it like it was last year,” Saeran replied, “I met you less than twenty four hours ago and look what happened already! I’m kicked out of Mint Eye and I have to work on gaining my trust on the Savior.”

“Savior.” MC laughed, “That’s funny. What century do you guys live in again?”

He just glared at her.

“Tell you what, you can go put your things down and I’ll go prepare your room so you can settle in,” MC spoke as she went up the stairs, “In case you haven’t noticed yet, you’re living here with me untul you get a decent job.”

“ _You_ get a decent job!” He yelled at her

“Honey, I _can’t_ have a decent job,” she responded, “Meanwhile, _you_ can because you don’t have a criminal record. Come up here now.”

Saeran went to where she went after placing this things down. He watched her as she placed a fresh bedsheet, throwing the dirty one on the ground.

“I suppose you’ve finished up until high school?” She spoke

When there was no response, MC gasped, “No way! You didn’t study?”

“Well,” Saeran trailed off, “Can we stop talking about me? I hate people.”

“You mean you hate people barging in your past?” MC asked

“No, I hate _people_ ,” he repeated, “Especially women.”

“That’s oddly selective,” MC muttered, “I’m gonna go down. Feel free to redecorate your room. I have a feeling that you’ll be staying here for quite a long time.”

•••

Saeran rubbed his eyes then turned to his side, squinting because of the light that dared pass through the blinds. He sat up slowly and stretched. He did his routine in his usual pace; beat MC to the bathroom and take his time on brushing his teeth and waking up fully, go back to his room to unplug his gadgets that had been charged since dawn, make his bed so as to not receive an earful from MC, and finally go down to share a silent breakfast with her.

It had been like that for the past three months that he stayed over with her.

The bickering between them lightened until it dissipated completely. They would often find themselves not talking to each other, acknowledging each other’s presence but just not talking. Besides, what was he supposed to say and what was she supposed to say?

At first he thought that living with a woman would change his perspective of them, but in the end, he found out that there was little to no changes to how he perceived, treated, or trusted them. It was just that as it is.

So they settled with silent living which, in his point of view, was the best type of living.

“Saeran,” MC called from a few ways behind him, “I’m going to put this chair at the door, okay? And,” Saeran had blocked the rest of it out

He just nodded until MC had gone silent. The next thing he heard was a sudden door slam which made him jump a little. He thought nothing of it since MC had the habit of leaving the door open only for a gust of wind to close it but this time, the sound wasn’t accompanied by steps, it was followed by a series of pounding on wood.

“Saeran! Help me!”

He turned to the door where the sound was coming from and heard MC yelling from the inside. He furrowed his brows then nodded in understanding when he realized that it was the door that couldn’t be opened from the inside.

He grabbed the doorknob and twisted it, opening the door successfully, and freeing a sobbing MC who was curled up in a fetal position.

“Whoa, what happened to you?” He asked as he looked down

She cried, making no move other than the shaking of her body. MC always cried so this wasn’t nrw for him. He learned that it was best to give her food or to leave her alone since those were the two things that she wanted the most. But she was horribly shaking as if the weather was cold despite the heater turned up.

Saeran knelt down next to her and held her upper arms weakly, “MC, why are you crying? The door’s open, why didn’t you just tell me to open it?”

She threw herself to Saeran, grasping tightly to his shirt and crying on his shoulders. He flinched back, ready to push her away but she was proving it impossible. She had an iron grip on him as if her life depended on it.

Saeran pulled her out of the small closet and closed the door behind them. He sat down next to her on the floor as he waited for her to stop.

“I really have to get back now,” he spoke

MC let go of him once the tears subsided and all that was left were the hiccups. She hugged herself tightly and let him do his job.

•••

MC and Saeran sat down in front of each other at the dining table. MC hadn’t said anything since the incident earlier. It’s not that Saeran didn’t mind, it’s just that MC looked completely out of it and the food she served didn’t look edible. Maybe he’d trusted her a bit too much on the cooking?

When MC was bringing the fork to her mouth, he gently grabbed her wrist and dragged it down with the food and utensil. This managed to snap MC from her stupor but didn’t make her smile even just a little bit even if it was basically her nature.

“I’m terrified of small spaces,” she explained

“I wasn’t asking,” Saeran responded as he looked for something to eat in the fridge

“The prison cell that I was in was so small, I felt like I was back there when I got locked in the closet,” MC continued

“Again, I wasn’t asking,” Saeran stated

“You’re gonna stick around to pull me out of places like that, right?” She asked

Saeran stood stiffly at that.

He turned to her with a raised a brow and a frown, “Why would I do that? As far as I know, you’re my landlady and I’m the person that lives under your roof. Nothing more, nothing less.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I love the next chapter and I hope you'll love it too~


	27. Daring the Devil - 04

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GodMod on the phone: Yes, hello. What? What do you mean ten tons of domesticated fluff? Healing? What are you talking about? I ordered angst. Yes, ten tons of angst with an add-on of pain and suffering so I'd reached free delivery minimum. No! I don't want the fluff! What am I supposed to do with domesticated fluff?!
> 
> Anyways, the song used in this chapter (which was also almost the title of this story but since Amino doesn't allow a language other than English, I couldn't use it as a title) is _Tuloy Pa Rin (It will keep on going)_. It's an old Filipino song released in 1990 (older than me by 8 years but still super popular). It's all about moving on from a break-up and although the main theme of Saeran's part isn't about break ups, I managed to incorporate the first part of the song and made it into a full chapter.
> 
> Originally, I planned the song to be the ending part of last chapter as a time skip transition which would feature a few scenarios every cut of the lyrics but I figured the lyrics weren't very suitable as an ending for last chapter (which ended harsh enough) so here it is as a standalone.
> 
> I didn't expect this part to be like this, honestly. I expected that it would be like two, three paragraphs, five at max, per lyrics cut but it became its own self and I'm really happy with the result of it. Okay this AN has gotten WAY too long. I'll link you to a lyric video of the original song (McDonald's also has a cover that rocks)
> 
> [Song](https://youtu.be/2PofcigPaMo)
> 
> Unfortunately I couldn't find one with an English translations but this is what I used for this chapter.
> 
> [Lyrics](http://fallen-aster.blogspot.com/2015/04/tuloy-pa-rin-by-noel-cabangon-lyrics.html?m=1)

Four years later, he had totally eaten what he said at that moment.

_Sa wari ko’y, lumipas na ang kadiliman ng araw (In my understanding, the darkness of the sun is already in passing)_

Saeran woke up to the smell of bacon cooking. He went through his regular morning rituals then made his way down to the kitchen, setting the plates as he waited for the food to be cooked.

“You’re up early,” MC pointed out as soon as she saw Saeran parading around in what he slept in

And she could say that last night was a pretty hot night.

“Couldn’t sleep. It was too hot,” Saeran responded

“I can see,” she responded, hiding a chuckle, “You might wanna go upstairs and put on some clothes besides boxers. Not that I don’t mind but what if we had a visitor?”

Saeran looked down then dashed up the stairs, completely forgetting that he was in the middle of doing something.

He went back downstairs after a few minutes then finished preparing the table.

“Good morning, Saeran,” MC greeted

“Define good,” he grumbled

MC chuckled as she placed the cooked food down on the table, “Ji-Soo will be over later today.”

Saeran’s expression softened, “About that. When were you going to tell me that Ji-Soo was a psychologist?”

MC’s smile faltered, “Saeran, I can explain.”

“I was just asking,” Saeran responded before MC burst into a long explanation, “If you weren’t planning to, that’s okay but I can proudly say that I’ve long stopped using the drugs and I barely have nightmares and episodes. It was hard but Ji-Soo helped me with it too.”

MC smiled weakly, “I’m glad she could help.”

Saeran shrugged, “Talking helped. I didn’t know how but it did. She knows a lot about me and I’m still sort of scared about it since I know that I can’t trust her fully, but at least I didn’t carry the load alone.”

“You can trust her fully,” MC pointed out, “I know that it’s hard trusting women with everything that’s happened to you-,”

“I never told you anything about it,” Saeran interrupted, “All you knew was that Rika kicked me out of Mint Eye. Did Ji-Soo tell you?”

“I… when we were back _there,_ I may have seen the scribbles,” MC replied weakly, “B-But I never told it to anybody! I promise! Not even Ji-Soo.”

Saeran frowned as he sat down on his chair. He avoided MC’s gaze as the woman tried desperately to explain.

“I find it so hard to trust people,” he muttered, “All this time, you _knew_ and you didn’t… you didn’t,”

“What? Try and help you?” MC furrowed her brows, “Saeran these past few years, all I’ve been doing is trying to gain your trust. I found someone who can help you and now you think that I never cared to help you?”

“You’re insane if you think that way!” MC sighed exasperatedly then sat down on her seat, “Believe in what you want but you know deep down that I did everything to help you.”

Saeran turned to her then muttered “Sorry.”

“I just hate looking weak and vulnerable,” he continued, “I know that you helped me.”

MC let out a breath of relief, “Glad that we have that out of the way. I thought it would cause some drama. Like in the movies when the main star discovers something that her partner knows already. Gosh, I mean, why wouldn’t they just talk, you know?”

Saeran gave her a small side smile, “But they do. In the end that is, when their lives are all ruined.”

MC laughed, “Promise me we’ll never turn to something like that?”

“Our lives are already ruined,” Saeran stated, “I say bring it on.”

MC nodded in agreement then stared at Saeran for quite some time, “You know, looking back from when I met you, you were a completely different person.”

“Personality?” He asked

“Physically,” she responded, “Apparently your hair isn’t white and you were wearing contacts. Funny how I assumed you were born like that.”

Saeran shrugged, “There was no point dyeing it.”

“I like this better on you,” she noted, “I mean, it’s you, the real one.”

“I hate it though,” he replied as he ran a hand through his hair, “I see my brother everytime I look in the mirror.”

MC reached out and patted his hand, “Hey, it’s not your brother, it’s _you_ in the mirror. It’s _you_ who is living and trying hard. It’s not him, it’s you.”

_Dahan-dahan pang gumigising at ngayo’y babawi na (Ever so carefully waking up and will now recover)_

Saeran, for once, skipped staying indoors for the whole day to go to a nearby convenience store. He bought food for himself then sat down at one of the seats located outside. He managed to get a good look at the surroundings in real life, not through any of his cameras.

Everything felt different and new despite the fact that he saw the place every single day.

The establishments around were still there and the people too. And, oh, would you look at that, the resident thief was on her job.

Saeran watched as MC passed by someone and quickly grabbed the wallet from his pocket. She had managed to place it inside the small bag that she had with her.

She turned to her usual spot and saw that it was Saeran who was occupying the seat for her. She went over to him, grabbing the unoccupied seat in front of him.

“You know, I changed a lot, I think you should too,” he spoke

“True but a minimum wage job isn’t going to make ends meet,” she responded

“But what if you get caught?” He asked, “Who’s gonna bail you out?”

She grinned towards him, “Of course my best buddy is gonna do that for me.”

Saeran rolled his eyes, “I’m not your best buddy.”

“Well, housemate,” she corrected, “My really kind housemate is gonna bail me out of jail if ever that happens.”

“And how do you suppose I’d get money when you don’t allow me to work?” He asked

“My housemate is gonna sneak me out of jail,” she finalized

Saeran chuckled, “And if I get caught doing _that_ , we’ll both be in jail.”

“Prison buddies?” She asked

“Shut up,” Saeran responded, “We’re not gonna see each other then. I’m serious, MC, you’re gonna have to change your ways sooner or later.”

MC sighed, “I’ll cross that bridge when I get there but for tonight, all I’m thinking about is what I’m going to cook. Do you feel like having a feast? Because this wallet sure does!”

_Muntik na nasanay ako sa ‘king pag-iisa (Almost got used in my solitude)_

Saeran went back to MC’s house just after meeting with her. She told him that morning that Ji-Soo would be over so he had to prepare himself into talk. A lot.

It’s not like he hated it, it’s just that talking a lot took some getting used to, especially since he talked to a complete stranger. Before, Ji-Soo would be over for hours only to get nothing out of him but now, her time wasn’t all wasted.

Now, the house was void of noises from MC and he even if he spent years being alone at the house while MC was out ‘working’, he couldn’t get used of the silence.

The house was always so lively during the morning and night with her voice and her running around everywhere so during the rest of the day, the house looked gloomy even if Ji-Soo was there.

He couldn’t believe that he lived exactly like that at Mint Eye though. He couldn’t believe that he would spend days and weeks alone with his computers, not noticing the hours and not bothering to go up and talk to the other disciples. He spent majority of his life in silence.

When he was a child, he was sickly so Saeyoung had to go out to buy medicine. He was left by their mother alone in their room with chains around his ankles.

When Rika came, she and V took him in but they were almost always out. Rika gave him a thick book like the one Saeyoung always read and a laptop to practice what he had learned. All the while, Rika would be at V’s house or she would be busy planning a party so there were no one to keep him company at her house.

Then he was brought to Mint Eye where he was stuck in the basement doing her dirty job. He didn’t bother talking to others, he had to take revenge on his brother.

Now, years later, he lived with a woman who didn’t have the audacity to shut up at the correct times. She was that ray of sunshine that would pass through the blinds every single morning and wake him up. She was the sound of the television running that gives him entertainment. She was the sound of the leaves dancing with the midnight wind that would put him to sleep.

He could never get used to being alone ever again.

_Is this what they call…_

_Having a friend?_

_At kaya nang iwanan ang bakas ng kahapon ko (and I can now leave behind the trace of my yesterday)_

He walked up the stairs, to his room. He sat down on the bed and stared at his wall covered in paper with writings. He could admit, learning to write was difficult since he was never admitted to formal schooling.

He read each and every word written on the paper, curses to his mother and twin, promises of revenge, how Rika had changed him, how he regretted the fact that he trusted his brother, and how Rika kicked him out because of MC.

The collection grew over the years but his additions to it went lesser and lesser until he had nothing to write anymore.

He could remember the last entry he had placed at the very center.

_Rika lied_

Two words. Just two simple words that MC had yelled to him one day but it made so much impact to his life. It wasn’t even taken into context. She had told him that Rika lied about the medication, about the drugs that he’d apparently been taking but if taken out of context, it had so much meaning to him.

He never thought he would go about reading it again or noticing them but they had to go at some point. He had to let go of the grudges.

Afterall, Ji-Soo was there to encourage him to keep living and there was MC who was always there, making him feel lighter.

He stood up and ripped the paper off the wall. All the pain and the anger translated into worldly material that he faced every single morning, now torn and on the ground.

He grabbed a pad of sticky notes and a pen and sat back down on the bed.

With a small smile, he placed the tip of the pen on the first sheet of paper and started writing.

_I will begin again_

_Tuloy pa rin ang awit ng buhay ko, nagbago man ang hugis ng puso mo (The song of my life will keep on going, even if the shape of your heart has changed)_

Saeran held the torn paper in his hands and placed them all in one plastic bag. He went outside and started a small fire, not enough to catch attention.

When he was satisfied with the height of the fire, he would grab a piece of paper, read it aloud and throw it in.

With each piece of paper, he felt a bit lighter and at ease. He couldn’t wait to tell it to MC and Ji-Soo. This was so much of an improvement and maybe MC would let him find a job so he could occupy himself.

He was still young, he still had time so it wasn’t too late to start a career as a computer engineer or an anti-virus developer. It would be an easy job for him and maybe then he could make MC stop from stealing. Maybe he could take care of the household for the two of them.

Then when he had enough, he could go find his brother and then they could fulfill every promise they had with each other because, if what MC said was true that Rika lied about the drugs, then Rika probably lied about all of it. Then it could only mean that Saeyoung left to get a job then he would try and find him.

His twin was out there scouring the city to find him. He wanted to do the same thing but at the right moment. The wounds haven’t fully healed yet and he was afraid at what he would feel when he sees Saeyoung again so it would take some time but it he was going to do it eventually.

He could see himself living a happy life knowing that his twin brother was alive and well and happy and MC was too. The two people that mattered the most in his life getting along and being with him until the end of his days.

Saeran wiped the tears he didn’t realize he’d been shedding. He missed his brother so much. It had been, what, eleven years since he’d last seen him?

He couldn’t wait to meet his twin again.

_Handa na ‘kong hamunin ang aking mundo, ‘pagkat tuloy pa rin… (I am prepared to challenge my world because it will keep on going)_

As soon as he entered the house, he heard the phone ringing which was odd since MC didn’t know much people.

He grabbed the phone and put it up to his ear, speaking “Hello?”

_“Saeran,”_

“MC? Is this you?” He asked

_“Yeah. I, uh, got into a tight situation,”_

He furrowed his brows, “What’s wrong?”

_“Saeran, I’m… I got caught. I’m in jail right now.”_

“I’m on my way,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you had a blast even if the brain's delivery got all messed up. I swear I ordered angst.


	28. Daring the Devil - 05

Saeran arrived at the police station in five minutes flat and frantically searched for MC. He found her sitting at a desk, her head bowed down and her hands bound together by handcuffs. A woman who was yelling at her sat in front of her she would eventually pull at MC’s hair.

He ran by her side and pulled the woman’s wrist away from MC’s hair.

“What are you doing to her?” He growled

MC looked up to him when he placed a protective arm around her.

“Who are you to stop me from doing that?” The woman snapped, “She attempted to steal my wallet from me! I’m filing a case against her.”

“Miss, I gave it back! What more do you want?” MC asked

“What? You want me to let you go just because you gave mine back? What if you go back to this? I can’t accept it. You should be behind bars,” the woman replied

“We can talk about this,” Saeran offered, “What do you want? Money? I can give you money.”

MC tugged Saeran’s shirt, “Saeran, let me handle this.”

“She’s hurting you!” He nearly yelled

The other woman stood up, “You must be a criminal too for putting up with you.”

MC stood up and stomped closer to the woman although it was clear that she was the smaller one, “Hey! Don’t judge him just because he’s here for me. You have no idea who he is and under no law gave you the right to do that to him.”

The woman scoffed, “You’re the one to talk about law. I’ll file a complaint against her. I’ll see you in court.”

MC sat back down and slumped in her chair, “What do I have to do to get out of the case, officer?”

The policeman raised a brow, “You’re guilty, no going out of the case.”

“Dude I gave it back!” MC yelled at him, “What else do you guys want?”

The policeman rolled his eyes, “You know, we really thought you’d do well after you got out but no, you just had to be a robber. What? Being a murderer wasn’t enough?”

Saeran stalked over to the table and glared at the policeman, “You got a problem with her?”

The policeman laughed then pointed a gun on Saeran’s forehead, “Kid you two are really testing me.”

Saeran hit the policeman’s wrist which made him drop the gun, “You were pointing an empty gun at me and the safety is on. Do it properly next time if you’re going to threaten me. Give me five minutes with her.”

“Fine.” The officer gritted his teeth before leaving

“I’m going to hire the best lawyer for you,” Saeran spoke weakly, “I’m going to work so I could pay. You’re not spending a night here.”

“Hey trooper.” MC chuckled, “I’ll be fine. I _may_ be guilty but I doubt I’ll spend years in there. You don’t have to work so I could get out.”

Saeran frowned, “Are you serious now?”

“I made it through months for a murder that I didn’t do,” MC stated then smiled weakly, “I can do this.”

Saeran shook his head, “I don’t agree but fine. But I’m going to work and you can’t stop me. Imagine if I can be an anti-virus developer or something.”

“You definitely can,” MC replied, “I’ll be back home soon. Don’t mkss me too much, ‘kay?”

Saeran rolled his eyes, “As if I’m going to miss you at all.”

•••

MC smiled deviously at Saeran who was at the jail the first minute he was allowed to visit. He brought a bag filled with lunchboxes inside. He placed all the food between them and gave MC a pair of chopsticks.

“I thought you wouldn’t miss me,” she spoke as she took a look at what was served

“It was too quiet at home,” he replied, “And don’t expect too much. This is my first time cooking.”

“So how did the meeting with Ji-Soo go yesterday?” MC asked then took a bite from the omellete he cooked, “This is actually good.”

“She was proud of what I did,” Saeran responded, “I take it you’ve already read the paper on the wall?”

“I have,” MC replied, “What about it?”

“I burned all of them and replaced them with good thoughts,” Saeran admitted, “I assumed she would be mad because of that but she was really happy.”

“I’m so proud of you!” MC grinned, “Greatest improvement ever! So what did you write?”

“Can you not ask that?” He asked, “And besides, it’s none of your business. Anyway, I decided that I’m going to make something of my life and I’ll find my brother.”

“That’s good,” MC said with a nod, “How do you think you’ll find him?”

“I own your laptop now,” he pointed out, “I’m gonna buy you a new one after all this but right now, I’m going to use your laptop to track him.”

“That’s okay,” she said, “So how’s work coming along?”

“Don’t tell it to anyone, okay?” He whispered, “I actually just spread the virus earlier this morning and it’s pretty quick so all I need is sell the anti-virus online and then by next week, I’d have enough to bail you out.”

“You don’t even know how much my bail is,” MC responded, “And besides, there isn’t a bail yet.”

“No, I’m going to pay the woman,” he replied, “I know where she lives and she has financial problems right now so it’s gonna be really easy to persuade her.”

“Are you stupid? What if she tells you on?” MC asked

“I’ll buy her silence,” he answered, “If she _decides_ to do it, she’ll regret it.”

“Saeran,” she started, “We’ve been through this.”

“I think she’ll cooperate well so I don’t have to go through such measures,” he replied, “Hey I think they’re calling for you.”

MC turned around to see a policewoman tapping her wristwatch. She pouted as she turned back to Saeran.

“I was starting to enjoy the food,” she spoke then sighed, “Thanks for this, Saeran. I thought you wouldn’t come visit me.”

“Something’s off with you,” he said

“Nothing’s wrong.” She forced up a smile

“Tell me. You spent years listening to me, the least I could do is give the favor back,” he replied

“I don’t want to stay here,” she admitted, “The feeling back then is coming back and I was so scared that you’d forget about me and not visit.”

“We have no one else besides each other,” he pointed out, “Do you think I’d abandon you that easily?”

She shrugged, “Well I gotta go for reals.”

Saeran nodded and watched as she left.

•••

The situation back home was horrible. True, he got his wish of working on something to have money but the cause of it wasn’t all that good. He hated the fact that he woke up and MC wasn’t there singing out of tune, the smell of food cooking wasn’t there too, he swore that he sun hadn’t risen up either.

The house was so dead and he couldn’t deny the fact that his hands were itching to find a way to get her out of there. For now, he had to be patient and wait until he had enough money to get MC out of there.

He could understand why he would care; MC had helped him from the ditches and made him better so there was no doubt he’d care for her.

But even if the days passed by, he couldn’t bring himself to get used to being lonely. Oftentimes, he would wait half an hour just so he could be with MC on the first second he was allowed to. He made the excuse of updating her what was happening of his virus just so he could stay.

MC looked past it though, claiming that he was missing her. Of course he didn’t. He just wasn’t used on eating alone.

He was so happy when his virus made headlines. It was finally time he could release the anti virus.

The virus he created was actually crucial especially to the rich people and the businessmen. It took their credit cards numbers, atm card numbers and pins, and debit card numbers and other private accounts in the bank. Everyone who had any kind of transaction online whether it was a simple purchase of game coins to the vast purchases on iBay, anything that used the card numbers, were targetted and in just a few clicks, he could easily access and see the majority of the accounts created.

The virus also had the ability to collect usernames and passwords from all sites requiring them. He had infiltrated many social networking sites in just the first twenty four hours and it proved worse than the “I Love You” virus back then.

He didn’t dare tap into the accounts though, if he did, then nobody could buy his anti-virus software and that was too much on stealing so he settled for selling.

Once he had finished his website, he started putting it as ads everywhere and started selling almost immediately.

It wouldn’t be long until he could bribe the woman into not continuing the case anymore then MC could go home and she could annoy him all he wanted.

So far, his plans of being together with his brother again was put in the back of his priorities but he knew deep down that it wouldn’t be too hard to do so.

•••

_707 has entered the chatroom_

**Yoosung☆:** Seven!

 **Yoosung☆:** the bank just told me that my account was hacked

 **Yoosung☆:** all my savings from LOLOL is there!

 **707:** ya mine is too

_Jumin Han has entered the chatroom_

**Jumin Han:** Luciel, will you help the bank where the C &R‘s funds are at? They alerted me that the account’s number is known by a hacker.

 **Jumin Han:** I was right by wanting to buy gold instead.

 **707:** don’t worry i’ve been looking it up

 **707:** they’re around my area

 **707:** i’m gonna go find them wheb i have enough evidence

_Jaehee Kang has entered the chatroom_

**Jaehee Kang:** Mr. Han, I have been told by the bank manager that an anti-virus is being sold.

 **707:** so typical;;;

 **Yoosung☆:** I have to buy it!

 **707:** don’t worry

 **707:** i bet they didn’t really want information

 **707:** just money~

 **Yoosung☆:** And you know that because…

 **707:** Yoosung i am a hacker

 **707:** that’s basic knowledge

_Jumin Han has left the chatroom_

_Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom_

**707:** u know…

 **707:** a few years ago there was a security breach in the RFA

 **707:** they used the same algorithm to access Rika’s apartment password

 **Yoosung☆:** …what?

 **707:** think it’s the same person but theyre not using the same ip address

 **707:** and they were somewhere near the mountains before

 **707:** but no worries

 **707:** whoever it is

 **707:** i can take them down in a minute ^^

_707 has left the chatroom_

•••

MC was bouncing when she was finally being freed. Saeran stood at the other side of the cell with a smile on his face. Once the cell was opened for her she jumped out and went to him.

“Thank you!” She yelled giddily, “Thank you so much Saeran!”

Saeran nodded, “I… this will sound so weird but I have this urge to… hug you. Is that okay?”

MC chuckled, “Of course.” She spread her arms wide, “Gimme a hug!”

Saeran cautiously slipped his arms around her, holding her tight while MC did the same. They stood there for quite some time, Saeran not quite wanting to let go. When MC was pulling out, Saeran pulled her in tighter, his expression unreadable.

“Just… just stay here,” he whispered, “Please just stay here. Give me a minute.”

MC nodded weakly, “Of course, Saeran.”

She sighed happily, “Thanks for doing this for me. I know that it wasn’t easy and it wasn’t safe but thank you for doing everything you can.”

Saeran buried his face to her neck, “Can I never let go?”

MC chuckled weakly, “You can.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You have unlocked _After Endings_


	29. Daring the Devil - After Ending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The after ending stock is finished you knkw what that means!
> 
> A NEW BATCH OF WHAT IFS~

“Guess who’s got a job!” MC yelled as soon as she had entered the house, “This girl right here! This girl has a job!”

Saeran peered from the kitchen with a small smile, “That’s great! So when do you begin?”

“Tomorrow morning. Ugh, I’m so excited I can’t wait!” She said, “I wanna celebrate.”

Saeran raised a brow, “Work at the convenience store is early. We can’t go out now, it’s late.”

“Fine but we’re playing a game tonight,” she stated

“I don’t think I’d like how this is going,” he spoke as he went back to the kitchen

MC followed him and saw that he was already cooking dinner, a cookbook open, “Wow that smells nice. Can’t believe you got so used to cooking.”

“It’s calming,” he explained, “Set up the table, will you? I’m almost done here.”

MC did what she was told to do and just a few minutes later, they were already eating in front of each other, MC completely giddy at the fact that the food tasted nice.

“You should’ve been a cook,” she pointed out, “ Oh this gives me a great idea for the game! Twenty questions!”

“Twenty questions?” He asked

“Yeah, basically, we ask each other questions, stuff we’re curious about the other,” she explained, “We’ve been living for nearly five years and I still feel like I lack a big chunk about you.”

“Fine,” he replied, “But nothing too personal. You know where the line is.”

She nodded, “Okay, first question. What’s your brother’s name?”

“His name’s Saeyoung,” Saeran answered, “When’s your birthday?”

“Dude we’ve celebrated my birthday before!” MC exclaimed

“I just can’t remember,” Saeran admitted

MC told him her birthday before she shot another question at him, “I know some stuff about your mom but what about your father? What kind of person is he?”

“Keep it a secret,” Saeran replied, “I’m actually the illegitimate child of the prime minister. We’ve been hiding ever since we were born and, in government records, aren’t existing.”

MC’s eyes widened, “Your life’s so complicated.”

“It is what it is,” Saeran spoke, “What’s your favorite color?”

MC told him her answer.

“So, like, are you ready to meet your brother again?” MC asked

“Yeah,” Saeran responded weakly, “I am. I don’t know if I’ll stare at him or if I’ll get mad but I know and I’m sure that I’m ready to see him again. It’s been so long since I’ve last seen him and I’m not getting any younger so my time with him is getting lesser by the minute.”

“I don’t have any questions left,” Saeran stated, “But if you have more, you can ask.”

“I don’t,” MC replied, “I’m glad that you’re ready.”

“Thanks for making me ready,” he said, “I wish I could make it up to you though.”

“You bailed me out of jail,” MC pointed out, “The efforts you did to do so were more than what you owed me.”

•••

MC was up three hours before she was supposed to be up. Thd excitement pumped in her veins and this had one way or another annoyed Saeran for the fact that he had to wake up as early as her. And it wasn’t a good thing after a long night of working.

MC ran to his room, knocking on the door wildly. She had her phone up, taking a video of him. She walked to her, a smile on her face as she did so.

“Wake up, sleeping beauty,” she spoke softly, pulling the sheets from his face

“Go away,” he grumbled, “It’s too early for this.”

“You’re on FB live,” MC pointed out, “Say hello to the world, Saeran.”

“Hello sleep,” he muttered

“Come on, Saeran!” MC said, “Look, people are watching you!”

He opened one eye and glared at the camera, “Why are you taking a video of me? Take a video of your face.”

MC laughed, “Here he is, world. My grumpy housemate.”

Saeran placed the covers over his head, “Go away. Let me sleep.”

“Party pooper,” MC accused before going out of his room and turning the camera off

•••

_Yoosung☆ has entered the chatroom_

**Yoosung☆:** I just watched the freakiest live video

 **707:** lolol why would you even watch live videos at six thirty?

_ZEN has entered the chatroom_

**ZEN:** Good morning, world

 **707:** good morning to you too

 **Yoosung☆:** You see, it was filmed by a former classmate

 **Yoosung☆:** but she graduated years ahead of me

 **707:** What? Like it’s hard?

 **Yoosung☆:** Anyways, she took this FB live video and she was filming a guy

 **707:** can’t find the weird part…

 **Yoosung☆:** The guy looked exactly like you

 **ZEN:** It might be your cousin

 **707:** Me? Cousin? What’s that?

 **707:** i didn’t know any of my cousins, so, probably

 **Yoosung☆:** It was like looking at you

 **Yoosung☆:** Same hair color, same eyes

 **ZEN:** So he was like your doppelganger?

 **Yoosung☆:** but even more

 **Yoosung☆:** like twins

•••

“Okay, okay, you’re gonna be my first customer,” MC said as soon as she and Saeran arrived at the convenience store

She went behind the counter and waited until Saeran could pick something from the store. After a while, he picked up a bag of chips and walked to her.

“Will this be all?” She asked with a smile, “Ah! That felt so good.”

Saeran gave her a short chuckle, “You act like this is your first job.”

“It’s my first job for quite some time so the feeling is different,” she responded then told him the total

He paid for it and waited until she could bag his purchases.

“Will I be the one to cook tonight?” He asked

“No, I think I’ll take over the kitchen tonight,” MC answered, “I’ll be back home early so you don’t need to worry about it.”

“If that’s fine with you then,” he spoke

“Don’t tell me that you’re eating _that_ for lunch,” she said, pointing at the chips

“MC, I can take care of myself so if I decide to eat chips for lunch, I’ll eat chips for lunch,” he responded before leaving, not hearing MC’s complaints

MC’s co-worker, who was putting up stocks, walked over to the counter with an empty box in hand.

“You’re very lucky to have a husband who offers to cook for you,” she spoke

“Pft. Husband? Jin, he’s not my husband,” MC responded

“Boyfriend then?”

“Hah, not even close. We’re just housemates,” MC explained

“But you don’t have plans of settling down?” Jin asked, “I mean, I’ve known you for years and I didn’t see you with any guy. Well, not with your… you know.”

“My customers back then were merely wallets in my eyes,” MC responded, “And besides, I don’t think any guy would want to stick around with a murderess.”

“But you’re not one,” Jin countered, “I’ve known you since you’ve graduated from college, and I’ve clearly been here long enough to see you grow, so I can say that guys will see beyond what you think is a murderess and thief.”

“Yeah, and the only one who did has trust issues on women.” MC gave a low chuckle, “It’s fine if I don’t get married or have a family. Pretty sure no one from my family will bother to see me and congratulate me so there’s no point.”

“Aren’t you afraid to grow old alone, though?” Jin asked, “I have children and I’m still afraid.”

MC shrugged, “Something tells me it’s gonna be fine.”

“Well, you _do_ have that friend of yours,” Jin pointed out, “He seems kind, no?”

“He is. He’s been through a rough past, is all,” MC said, “And if you’re gonna suggest ‘why not marry him then?’, then I’m gonna beat you to it and say that he’s not ready for a relationship. He’s busy trying to mend one, he doesn’t need another load.”

Jin laughed weakly then sighed, “I can’t believe I’m talking to the same girl who was held at gunpoint in front of my face. Why was it again?”

“People thought I’d strip for free just cause I worked like that,” MC responded, “There are so many men who aren’t worthy of anyone’s trust. Like that guy who created a fake doctor’s note to get medicine from me.”

“You’ve been through a lot,” Jin said then gave her a soft smile, “But am I glad to see you still alive and kicking.”

“Living is really stressful but it’s not half bad,” MC replied, “You just have to have faith that there’s a turning point in your life, you know? It’s funny now because my turning point was literally being kidnapped but now, everything’s so nice.”

Jin laughed, “Girl, I don’t know what you’re talking about, being kidnapped and all that, but I’m really happy you’re done with all that. Now you get to see my face all the time.”

MC rolled her eyes, “I see you all the time even before I worked here.”

Jin smiled, “It’s different. Okay now back to work and good luck on your first day.”

•••

 _Five more minutes left._ MC thought as she restocked the fridge with drinks

The bell at the door chimed but she didn’t see who it was. She went to the counter and decided to wait for the customer. She saw three huge bags of Honey Buddha Chips, which she had been restocking all day, and two cans of PhD Pepper. She rang all of the items and put it in a plastic bag.

“That would be fifteen seventy- _Ah_!”

The customer’s brows shot up with her scream.

MC’s eyes scanned her customer’s face. _That red hair, those golden eyes…_

“You’re… you’re Saeyoung,” she spoke, “Saeyoung Choi?”

•••

Saeran was in the kitchen, cooking dinner when he heard the front door open. He dismissed it since it was right about the time when MC should be home.

He had already finished setting the table and had cleaned up the mess he made with the ingredients and was almost finished with the dinner he was preparing.

“I cooked already, MC,” he called, “I figured you’d be tired.”

“Yeah, Saeran, could you come here for a minute? I need to show you something,” MC responded

“Just a sec,” he said

He waited until the food was fully cooked and turned the stove off. He untied the apron and pulled it off his body, hanging it at a hook, then made his way to the living room.

As soon as he arrived, he saw an identical pair of golden eyes and he caught himself staring at the person MC arrived with. His mouth stayed slightly open as he took in the sight in front of him.

It felt like looking in the mirror but not quite, just a tiny bit different.

“Saeran,” a soft whisper came from that person

He walked over to Saeran and pulled him in tight for a hug. Saeran stood still and unmoving.

_Is this real?_

He couldn’t think when he started sleeping. Was it on the couch while he was coding? Was he at the kitchen and dozed off while waiting for the meat to soften? Or…

He couldn’t imagine that _this_ was reality.

_If so, then MC found my brother,_

He blinked then his eyes turned towards the woman he lived with, grinning widely at him.

He could still feel the presence of a body pressed up against his so he slowly wrapped his arms around the man just to see if this really was reality.

_It is._

“S-Saeyoung?” He spoke slowly, “Is this… real?”

The man pulled away and Saeran could see the tears in his eyes even through the glasses.

“Yes it’s true,” the man, Saeyoung, replied, “I can’t believe I finally found you.”

“You were looking for me,” he stated as a matter-of-factly, “You were looking for me.”

“Yes, as soon as I was capable,” Saeyoung replied, “Didn’t you get my gifts? I sent you Christmas gifts and birthday gifts yearly. I didn’t want you to think that I didn’t care about you.”

“You left me,” Saeran supplied, “You left me alone with our mother.”

“It was so I could get a job,” Saeyoung answered, “You remember when we promised that when we’re old enough, we’ll buy a house and live happily?”

Saeran nodded.

“This is our chance now!” Saeyoung smiled wide at him, “I, I, I have a house, a-and I live alone. We could stay together like how it was before but we’re going to be happy now, we’re gonna be free.”

Saeran nodded again, “I’d like that.”

Saeyoung turned to MC, “Thank you for taking him in. I wish I could repay you for what you did.”

MC smiled, “It’s nothing. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him anyways so it’s fine, really.”

Saeyoung pulled Saeran in for another hug, “Let’s go home.”

“Home,” Saeran repeated, “Yes, let’s go home.”

The twins were outside when it hit him. Saeran had barely walked five meters away from MC’s house when he stopped and turned around. Saeyoung looked at him, curious as to why he halted.

“I can’t leave MC,” Saeran said as if reading his twin’s mind, “I… tried that before and I don’t want to do it again.”

Saeyoung’s eyes softened, “I understand.”

Saeran looked over to his brother, conflict evident in his eyes, “But I want to stay with you too.”

Saeyoung grinned, “Who said we can’t find a middle ground? Come on, let’s take you back to her.”

Saeran opened the front door and found MC in the kitchen, sitting alone in her seat. She stood up when she saw that the twins were back so soon.

“What’s up?” She asked

“Nothing, it just didn’t feel right to leave,” Saeran answered truthfully, “Also there’s one small favor I’ll ask of you.”

“And that is?” MC raised her brow

“Can Saeyoung live with us here? It wouldn’t feel right to leave you and I’d feel bad to not be with my brother after all these years,” Saeran responded, “If it’s okay with you, that is. We’ll pay rent and we’ll all chip in for food and bills.”

MC grinned wide, “Ugh! I was waiting for you to suggest that! Dummy, you really think you can leave so easily? Even your clothes are here!”

Saeran rolled his eyes, “Well you didn’t quite give me a heads-up.”

MC peered to the front door, “Hey Sae! You can stay for, like, forever!”

Saeyoung came running to them, “Wait, really?”

“Of course.” MC nodded, “I’ve got zero family so there’s no hurt in all of this.”

She looked over at the twins, “This is gonna be fun.”

•••

_One year later_

MC walked through the front door, the metal sliding closed as soon as she got inside.

“Hello, Meowy,” she greeted their pet robot cat as soon as she entered, “Where are they?”

“I cannot tell, meow,” Meowy replied

MC chuckled then shrugged it off. She made her way to the kitchen, which lights were, odd enough, closed. As soon as she entered, the lights lit up and a pair of voices screamed “Happy birthday!”.

“Thank you!” MC giggled as she took a look at all the banners and the food placed on the table, “Wow, you two cooked a feast.”

“No, only one cooked a feast,” Saeran countered, “The other one was busy eating Honey Buddha.”

“It’s because it’s good,” Saeyoung pointed out, “And I can cook well if I wanted to.”

“Oh yeah? What will you cook?” MC asked

“Fried chicken and the breading will be crushed Honey Buddha Chips,” Saeyoung answered, “It’s gonna taste super good.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Saeran waved him off then directed MC’s attention to the cake, “Make a wish, MC.”

MC smiled then looked at the two guys, “I wish for nothing else. Just the three of us living together and being happy and more adventures to the three of us, wherever or however this will end up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **FREE TALK:**
> 
> Originally, it was only Jumin and Saeran who were supposed to get After Endings because I fully finished the others, fully closed their books. Jumin was supposed to have his because of the birthday party and the fact that I fell in love too much with the concept while Saeran's story lacked space. I finished the fifth chapter, not realizing that it had already reached the limit thus, the After Endings were born.
> 
> So Saeran's story. From the beginning, I never planned them on having a romantic relationship. No, it's not because in Seven's (canon) after ending, Saeran mentioned something about not liking girls (though I don't accept it as really canon because it was a dream). I didn't give them a romantic relationship because he's not ready. In this arc, he'd been treated badly by every woman he encounters; his mother, Rika, and now the MC. Although in the end, they become friends, remember that in the beginning, the MC was a feisty woman who never let ANYONE step on her. She constantly fought with him and pushed him around and from that foundation, I never made them have any more spark than what is needed.
> 
> Relationships for Saeran is sort of not good. I just can't see them having a relationship like that in the next five more years or so. Maybe a little coaxing from his brother would do him good and MAY give him the idea to start dating the MC (highly likely after the second or third year anniversary of them reuniting) and trust me, he will immediately take her to the altar to marry. He won't let himself lose the only woman who treated him not as a victim but as a human. But them having children is a very slim chance. Maybe it's because of the fact that he'll be afraid of what he can't do or maybe he's afraid of failing to be the proper father he never had but there is minimal chances that they'll have kids come the time they marry.
> 
> Now, for the MC! The MC became a "murderess" when she had given a wrong prescription. A patient gave her a fake doctor's note with drugs that could kill a person without proper prescription. She had been accussed harshly by the family after the doctor's note and receipt was seen. They checked the CCTV and saw that it was her who gave the drugs and she was named a killer by the whole nation. She got away with it after proving that she was innocent (whatever she told Saeran was a lie) but the brand remained.
> 
> And that's about it for the free talk!


	30. Sleeping with the enemy - 01

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The comeback is getting closeeeeeeer~~~
> 
> Really guys! I miss EVERYTHING on here!!! It's currently August 20 and darn it August 29 couldn't have been any closer! August 29 is the submission date of the FINAL chapter of our thesis (yay!) So that can only mean that I'll be getting less and less free time as August 29 comes and more after it. So basically, I've written this chapter and I'm almost done with the next BUT I have been saving this for, like, more than a month, because I wanted to put whatever triggers or themes that this segment will have.
> 
> This part (the five next stories) are kinda different from the first five. Those are, in a way, lighthearted but these next five, I'll be focusing on a different type of MC. We will have an MC with alopecia, a deaf MC, a "leftover" MC, an MC with short term memory loss, and an MC who is yet to be decided if she will have V or Saeran.
> 
> So with this, get ready to remind me a lot when August 31st comes (because I will be forgetting to update orz) and I hope ypu enjoy the next batch of What If stories ♡

“Y-You have to run! You have to come with me,” I said as I looked deep into her eyes which were driven with panic and confusion, “You have to trust me this time. I’m not going to let anything else hurt you, not again.”

Her mouth opened slightly, her bottom lip quivering in fear. I could see it in her eyes that she couldn’t understand me at the moment. There were so many things going on and too many barriers blocking our ways but I wish that deep in her heart, she knew what I was trying to say to her.

Only it wasn’t a wish that was granted.

“There he is!”

I looked over her shoulder to see a huge man and several other men run towards us, the fire in their eyes scaring me for a second or two.

I pulled at her arm but she pulled back then shook her head. She started pushing me away, the heels of my shoes sounding against the tiles of the house.

She wanted to me go.

“How can I go?” I yelled at her then received another push from her, “I’m _not_ going anywhere without you.”

I pulled her behind me and faced the men who were quickly approaching us. It was either leaving her or death but I promised myself that I would never leave anyone else behind ever again.

“If I knew this would happen,” I said weakly, eyeing the various weapons of the men running towards us; towards me, “If I knew this would happen I’d do it all the same.”

She still kept on pulling me away and tried to get me running away again but how can anyone ever leave someone they loved behind? I knew I couldn’t and wouldn’t do it again after what happened in the past.

I looked to her eyes once more and then to the crowd.

“I’ll… okay. Okay I’ll go. For now,” I stated then placed my hands to her cheeks and gave one last peck to her lips, “I’ll come back for you.”

I turned around and hesitantly ran outside and to my car that was waiting. I revved up the engine and started driving away but not before I could catch one last look over at the building to see her standing by the entrance, watching me silently.

There’s an old saying between brides that goes “If you’re lucky, you get to marry a rich old man, but if you’re luckier, you get to capture the heart of the daughter of the rich old man”.

What? What do you mean “I made that up”?

I didn’t make it up! Honest!

Oh, yeaaaah! It only refers to me! Lololol

Well, I’m not a lucky hacker but I’m definitely luckier than the next person.

That is, if you count being threatened to be killed by a huge mob of men a stroke of luck. I know I’m not counting it as one but that’s not the lucky part. The lucky part is, behind all those men is a beautiful woman who tends to her own, waiting for someone. Like a damsel in distress only she’s not in distress and she doesn’t need much saving.

And what makes me luckier than the next person? Well I’m the only guy who can melt the frozen heart of the damsel who is not-so in distress.

You see, it all started seven months ago.

•••

_707 has entered the chatroom_

**707:** Hello my people!

 **707:** people of the world hello!

 **707:** sucha great day!

 **Yoosung☆:** ?

 **ZEN:** What’s up with you…?

 **707:** I’m happy. I can’t be happy?

 **Yoosung☆:** define… happy

 **707:** happy.

_Saeran has entered the chatroom_

**Saeran:** He saw a box of kittens on the way home

 **Saeran:** And stopped the car in the middle of the road

 **Saeran:** to pet it

 **Saeran:** we got pulled over by cops.

 **ZEN:** So where exactly is the happy part???

 **707:** kitties~

 **ZEN:** And that’s supposed to make you happy how?

 **Saeran:** Beats me.

 **707:** But you played with it too!

_V has entered the chatroom_

**V:** Rika and I saw Luciel being pulled over by the cops earlier. What happened?

 **V:** Oh…

 **V:** Rika was really worried.

 **707:** don’t worry i paid!

 **707:** [[photo]](http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/cute-kittens-4-57b30a939dff5__605.jpg)

 **707:** [[photo]](http://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/cute-kittens-9-57b30aa5797eb__605.jpg)

 **707:** [[photo]](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/16/9e/fd/169efd8c7bb1f9504335171340dcce0a--fluffy-kittens-baby-kittens.jpg)

 **Saeran:** Oh and he brought “some” home too

_ZEN has left the chatroom_

_Jumin Han has entered the chatroom_

**Jumin Han:** ¡Hola!

 **707:** Jumin!

 **707:** Right on time!

 **Saeran:** I thought your trip was in China though…

 **Jumin Han:** I sensed the presence of cats.

 **Jumin Han:** I was not wrong.

 **V:** Hello Jumin.

 **Jumin Han:** Jihyun, hello. How are you and Rika?

 **V:** Fine. You should ask the twins how they are.

 **Saeran:** I know I’m not.

 **707:** Gonna go play with the cuties~

 **Jumin Han:** **Don’t abuse them.**

 **707:** I won’t~

_707 has left the chatroom_

**Saeran:** Vanderwood actually arrived

 **Saeran:** New job.

 **Saeran:** Gotta go.

_Saeran has left the chatroom_

Saeran stood from the couch and went over to their computer room, immediately taking place in front of his computer. He turned to his left and saw his twin still playing with the kittens that he had brought home.

Saeran slid his computer chair to the door and called his twin, “Hey Saeyoung, Vanderwood’s here. You better start working or you’ll get tased. _Again_.”

Saeyoung grinned cheekily then looked over at his brother, “Puh-lease. As if I don’t actually do my job.”

“You actually don’t,”

The older Choi brother jumped slightly in surprise as a third voice resounded in the room. Saeyoung looked behind him then saw Vanderwood standing there, teeth gritted.

“Ah but I finished my task last night,” Saeyoung pointed out, “And you thought I was lazy.”

“You had 1.52 seconds left!” Vanderwood exclaimed, “That task was given last week.”

“But I still finished,” Saeyoung countered

Saeran frowned, “Can you let him off the hook? It’s not his fault that it was difficult. And besides, he pulled three all-nighters for it.”

Vanderwood sighed, “Fine. But only this time. Oh, and by the way, I have a new mission for you.”

Saeran raised a brow, “Me?”

“No. To Agent 707,” Vanderwood eyed the man playing with the kittens

“Lay it on me. I’m pretty sure I’ve got it,” Saeyoung replied

“You’re going undercover for a mafia boss,”

Saeran raised a brow then stood from his seat, “A… mafia boss? I thought… I thought Saeyoung and I aren’t going to be part of them anymore.”

“The decision’s been made. We-,”

Saeran ran towards Vanderwood and held the man by his shirt’s collar, pulling him down, “We signed a contract! We will _never_ be involved with this.”

“It was either you or him!” Vanderwood spat, “He chose himself. He wanted to do this.”

Saeran glared at his twin, “Are you trying to get yourself killed?!”

“Well, I,…” Saeyoung sighed before standing up and pulling his brother away from the other guy, “Saeran, they wanted you to do the job but I didn’t want to risk it. It’s… a job that requires overnight stays for days and that’s just not good for you.”

“So, what? You think I’m not capable of doing something just because I _was_ sickly?” Saeran asked

“Saeran, I have less than a year to do it,” Saeyoung responded, “It won’t be for so long and I won’t even do the actual arresting, I promise. It’s just undercover. I’m just undercover.”

Saeran crossed his arms then looked at the ground, “What you’re going to be one of them? You’re going to do their deeds?”

“Uh, not exactly,” Saeyoung rubbed his nape, “You see, I won’t be undercover as one of the boss’ goons.”

Saeran tilted his head to the right and looked up at his twin, “Then who will you be?”

“You see…”

•••

Saeyoung walked out from his room, a red luggage bag in his hands. He smiled weakly at his brother who sat on the couch with his mouth agape.

Saeran stared at his older twin who was looking more like a sister than a brother. Saeyoung had on a black strappy dress that reached midthigh and left quite a few for the imagination due to all the sticking it did to his body. Saeran could say that his twin had a decently good body for someone pretending to be a woman. He had enough curves to show and to make people conviced. Saeran didn’t know if he was impressed or absolutely terrified.

“Who the hell are you supposed to be?” Saeran asked, watching as Saeyoung ran a comb through his long red hair

“The future wife of Eight Star’s mafia boss,” Saeyoung answered confidently

“Wait, wait,” Saeran started, “ _Eight Star_?!”

“Ya,” Saeyoung responded, “Little bro, your bro is gonna be a big shot soon and you’re gonna get a fortune.”

“This isn’t a joke, Saeyoung,” Saeran said strictly, “You better come back home alive.”

“When have I never,” Saeyoung responded before pulling his twin in for a tight hug, “Take care of the bunker, my babies, and my kitties and of course yourself.”

Saeran pushed a few inches away from his brother, “Don’t hug me with your boobs. Where did you even get those?”

Saeyoung laughed then pulled out of the hug, “Your brother’s got some tricks up his sleeves.”

“So I’ll get going now,” Saeyoung stated, giving his twin a tight smile, “I’ll be back in a few months.”

Saeran nodded as he watched Saeyoung go to the door of the bunker. Saeyoung turned around once he reached the door and Saeran saw the sad smile on his brother’s face adorned with the tears on his cheeks.

“I’m sorry that I have to leave you again,” he spoke, “But I promise that I won’t take as long this time. Bye for now.”

•••

Seven looked around the noisy bar, the people left and right of him grinding each other. He tried his best not to get caught up in a situation he didn’t want to be in. After all, he was there for a job, not to enjoy.

“ _Alright, Agent. Target has been spotted over at the VIP lounge. Over._ “

Seven nodded and fixed his wig to cover more of his earpiece. He went over to the bartender and ordered two drinks.

“Is he alone?” Seven whispered as he eyed the dimly lit crowd

“ _Yes. Go now while you still have the chance. Over._ “

Seven pulled out a capsule from his purse and poured the contents of it in one of the drinks while the bartender wasn’t looking. He grabbed the two glasses and headed over to the VIP lounge, immediately spotting his target.

He strutted his way over to the big burly man and sat down ever so slowly next to him, eyes lingering on the man’s face.

“My, my, what do we have here?” The man asked, clearly amused

Seven gave him a side smile as he placed the glasses down on the table, pushing the one with the drugs to the man’s side.

“I saw you sitting here alone so I figured I’d give you some company,” Seven used the highest pitch of voice he could, “That is, of course, if you’d want to.”

The man grinned at him, “Who am I to push this beautiful woman away?”

Seven leaned his upper body closer to him, “You know, I’ve been watching you from way over there.” He used his manicured nails to point over at the bartender’s place, “And I felt that you were… interesting.”

The man inched his face closer to Seven, “Do you want to try if I _am_ interesting?”

Seven pulled away ever so slightly to see if he got the man’s attention enough. The man followed Seven’s move and the agent smirked at it.

“Maybe,” Seven spoke, “Let’s have a toast.”

He grabbed his glass and started drinking from it, watching the man drink the one he had offered. Once they both downed their drinks, they placed it back on the table and the man went closer.

_“Twelve minutes and fourteen point twenty seconds til the drugs give full effect. Over.”_

The man’s hand trailed towards Seven’s thigh and the agent playfully swatted it.

“Don’t be so naughty,” Seven spoke, “There are people out here.”

“So?” The man raised a brow, “I don’t care, they don’t care.”

“ _I_ do,” Seven responded, “I’m staying at a hotel right now and it’s not far from here.”

“Perfect,” the man spoke, standing up and bringing Seven with him

The man draped a hand around Seven’s waist, pushing her eagerly to walk. Seven walked his pace though, not letting the man to overpower him.

If they happened to be just a second too quick at the room or a second too late, the whole operation was already blown and they had to wait another few months to strike again so Seven _knew_ that he had to make it perfect the first time around.

_“Four minutes and ten point four seconds. Over.”_

Seven and the man had reached the hotel lobby by the time an update was given to him. Seven led the man to the busy elevator to force the man to behave. Once the elevator stopped at their floor, Seven walked straight ahead, hips swinging left and right, inviting the man to come forward. The man, like a dog, followed Seven until they got to the hotel room door.

_“Three minutes and seventeen seconds. Over.”_

Seven unlocked his hotel room and pulled him inside. He immediately went to the bedroom, leading the man and locked it once they were both inside.

_“One minute. Over.”_

Seven pushed the man down on the bed and ever so slowly climbed on top of him.

_“Fifty seconds. Over.”_

“You’re one naughty woman.” The man chuckled drunkenly

“You’re one to talk,” Seven responded

_“Thirty seconds. Over.”_

“So you plan on playing tonight?” The man raised a brow

“I plan on playing with you all night, every night,” Seven replied, “Even if it’s day. I’ll play with you all day long. Twenty four hours in a day, seven days a week.”

_“Ten seconds. Over.”_

The man’s eyes started to close but he forced to keep it open and Seven saw the struggle to stay awake.

_“Five seconds. Over.”_

“I’ll play with you over and over and over again until the day you lose everything and forget everything,”

_“Three seconds. Over.”_

“And the only thing you’ll ever have is my name,”

_“Zero seconds. The drug is in full effect. Over.”_

As soon as the countdown hit zero, the man’s eyes closed and he was overcome with deep sleep. Seven sighed and got off the bed, stretching his body and throwing his heels away.

“Man that hurts a lot,” he spoke in his regular voice

He turned to the man on the bed and sighed again.

“Agent 707 Extreme, ready for phase two.”


	31. Sleeping with the Enemy - 02

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm having second thoughts on putting this here but eh, whatever. Anyways, the story's looking pretty long both in plot and in form. I'm already on the 5th chapter and there hasn't been any romance yet sooooo
> 
> ANYWAYS I WANTED TO EXPLAIN WHY RIKA AND SAERAN ARE WITH THE RFA!!!
> 
> Originally, I was gonna make Sleeping With the Enemy as tragic as it could get (I miss my better half tragedy and my other better half angst) BUT putting the tragedy in the romance was enough, I couldn't get family complications added into the mix PLUS Seven would the be really really really really hard to attract (like, he wouldn't like someone at first sight or whatever). He'd try to push them away because of his secrets but what about a Seven who doesn't have as much secrets? A Seven who lives with his brother happily?
> 
> So the story behind that is, yes, Seven still left Saeran when he was 15 but he worked behind his boss' (or whoever sent him to school) back. He found an abandoned bus near the school, fixed it at best, then got his brother out of the house before Rika had the chance to. It's not to say that Rika doesn't have Mint Eye in mind, it still follows the original plot of the game. Ths only difference is Saeran was busted out earlier and Rika didn't stage her suicide.

Seven grabbed the comforter from underneath the man and crumpled it the best he could. He threw it to the ground then picked up the pillows, doing the same to the case of it. He draped the comforter over the man and started to remove his clothing, one article before the other.

Seven made sure to throw it away at different spots of the room, making sure that it looked convincing. Next, he went to the bathroom to change into his pajamas and threw his former clothing to the floor. Once he was done, he set up an alarm on his phone that was set to go off in eight hours and a quarter, just enough time for him to wake up and make sure that he looked like they had done some mischievous deeds the night before.

He exited the hotel room and went over to the one in front of it, entering and locking the door. He threw himself to his bed then fished his phone out of his pocket, immediately logging in in the RFA messenger.

_707 has entered the chatroom_

**ZEN:** It’s nearly midnight. I thought you and Saeran had an agreement

 **Saeran:** Hah agreements don’t work when we aren’t around each other

 **707:** so tierd

 **707:** adnd runk

 **707:** what ddi the baryender give me

 **ZEN:** …?

 **ZEN:** Seven… doesn’t drink

 **Saeran:** Hey lightweight, why’d you drink?

 **707:** yuo talk lik uoure not a lightwiehht

 **707:** asked for a

 **707:** laxy drink

 **707:** gvae me alcohol

 **707:** drunk

 **707:** heyyyyy

 **707:** ure gonna be an heir

 **Saeran:** Lady drinks _are_ alcoholic.

_Jaehee Kang has entered the chatroom_

**Jaehee Kang:** Why is everyone still up?

_Rika has entered the chatroom_

**Rika:** Good evening everyone

 **ZEN:** Rika!

 **707:** heeeeeeeeyyyyyyyy,,,,,

 **Saeran:** he’s drunk

 **Jaehee Kang:** I didn’t know Luciel drank.

 **Saeran:** he doesn’t.

 **Rika:** Are you alright, Saeyoung?

 **707:** gonna be a preeeeety bride

 **ZEN:** A what?

 **Saeran:** You see, he’s on a mission

 **Saeran:** he’s undercover and he’s supposed to seduce a mafia boss

 **Saeran:** Hey bro, go to sleep.

 **Saeran:** Or I’ll tell Vanderwood to go there and tase you

 **707:** bad maid!

_707 has left the chatroom_

**Rika:** Isn’t that dangerous? I’m concerned.

_707 has entered the chatroom_

**707:** hye Saeran, g oto slepp

_707 has left the chatroom_

**Rika:** Are you sure he’s fine?

 **Saeran:** He should be.

_Yoosung☆ has entered the chatroom_

**Yoosung☆:** I SAW SEVEN!

 **Yoosung☆:** WITH A GUY!

 **Yoosung☆:** AND HE’S DRESSED AS A WOMAN!

 **Saeran:** …why were you out so late then?

 **Yoosung☆:** …

_Yoosung☆ has left the chatroom_

**Saeran:** I gotta go work now

 **Jaehee Kang:** This late?

 **Rika:** Saeran, you and Saeyoung should really know your limits.

 **Saeran:** Deadline’s at 3am and I haven’t finished my job yet

 **Saeran:** Don’t worry it’s nothing I can’t handle

_Saeran has left the chatroom_

**ZEN:** Do any of you think something’s going on weird?

 **Rika:** I’m highly concerned.

 **Rika:** What if something bad happens to either one of them?

 **ZEN:** Well it just looks like they’re not going to be together for quite a while

 **Rika:** …

 **Jaehee Kang:** Let’s just rest up for tonight

 **ZEN:** Good night Rika, Jaehee

 **Jaehee Kang:** Good night

_ZEN has left the chatroom_

_Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom_

**Rika:** …not going to be together?

_Rika has left the chatroom_

•••

_Brrr brrr_

_Brrr brrr_

Seven groaned as he felt the vibrations coming from something on the bed. He opened his eye slowly, one eye squinted, one eye closed. He turned to look at the object that made the vibrations and saw his phone.

His head pounded heavily from the sound so he grabbed his phone, turning the alarm off. He sat up slowly and rubbed his eyes. He got up and stretched, memories of last night going to him in hazy forms.

He remembered logging in the RFA messenger and he wished that he said nothing embarrassing. He also remembered calling Saeran’s phone but the other line said nothing which was unusual of his brother. Then and there, Seven decided that he wasn’t allowed to take another sip of alcohol.

He went out of the hotel room and went to the one across it. He got inside the room where he left his target then started to strip until he was wearing only his underwear. He hid his sleep wear in his bag and slid in next to the man passed out on the bed.

_Saeran should have already sent the findings by now._

He went through his call log and confirmed that he had called his brother the night before, only, the last number wasn’t correct but the other person has answered and held onto the call for about three minutes.

Seven shrugged and dialed his brother’s number instead, the younger one’s photo appearing on the screen.

_“Why the hell are you calling at five in the morning?”_

“What did I say about using that word?” Seven asked, “Anyways, did you finish your task?”

_“Yeah.”_

“Are you okay?” Seven asked

_“Shouldn’t I be the one asking that? Are you sure you’re fine? You were quite drunk last night.”_

“Yeah, no, I’m actually having the worst hangover in the entire world,” Seven groaned

_“Was that really the first time you drank?”_

“Yeah, I prefer PhD Pepper,” Seven replied, “I’m glad you’re fine.”

There was a sigh at the other line.

_“Saeyoung, I’m worried. It’s your first day and look what happened. Can’t anybody else take over for you?”_

“I’ve been paid already for this, Saeran. Don’t worry though, I’ll finish this quick,” Seven responded, “I’ll be back before you know it.”

_“I…”_

“I’m fine. Promise,” Seven assured, “I’m gonna hang up now, okay? Don’t forget to feed my cats and drive my babies.”

Seven hung up and placed his phone on the bedside table. It was refreshing to hear his brother’s voice again and it felt nicer to know that he was fine afterall. They had gotten a day through and they were still fine.

_I’ve got this in the bag. Hopefully he won’t have as much sep-anx as before._

•••

Seven woke again once he felt the bed rock. He turned around and saw the man rubbing his head in an attempt to calm the waves of headache that he was experiencing.

“Good morning,” Seven spoke in the sweetest feminine voice he could muster

The man gave him a smile, “What a night.”

“Yeah,” Seven agreed, “By the way, what’s your name?”

“Hae Nam Sun,” the man replied

“Nam,” Seven tested the name, “I like it. My name’s Won Yi Jin.”

“A pretty name for an even prettier woman,” Nam pointed out, “But I don’t quite like something.”

“That is?” Seven raised a brow

“Your family name,” Nam stated, “I’d rather hear it as… Hae Yi Jin.”

Seven smiled deviously, “That sounds perfect.”

“If you want to,” Nam started, “It’d be easy to arrange after.”

Seven closed his eyes halfway, “Who am I to disagree?”

•••

Seven walked next to the bigger man whose arm was around his waist. He observed his surroundings and saw that they were walking through a decent neighborhood, one which you could see anywhere.

There were old people at their porches, there were children playing around, teenagers hanging out, and there were those who were doing random things and talking to each other. It wasn’t a place where you’d think that the Eight Star resided.

“Where are you taking me?” Seven asked

“To my home. I’d like you to meet someone,” Nam responded

_“Location tracked. Over.”_

“Who is it?” Seven raised a brow, “Your girlfriend?”

The man laughed, “Sweetheart you’re the only woman who’s catched my eye so far.”

“Really? A man like you? I’m not convinced,” Seven replied, “Men like you have women all over their arms all the time.”

“Well not all men,” Nam pointed out, “I tend to stick to one.”

“So who is it you’d want to introduce?” Seven asked, “Your friends?”

Seven looked up to the taller man and saw that he was being stared at intensely. Seven cowered a bit before trying to regain his composure.

“I don’t suppose you know me,” he spoke in a low tone, “Do you?”

“I… uh… I’ve seen you around these parts of town,” Seven replied, “But don’t think this girl’s particularly good.”

“Hm? So you met my goons already?”

Seven gulped, “Well, I mean, the kind of men that I like isn’t the good boys.”

“So you _do_ know me, agent?” Nam asked

Seven tried stepping back but was in Nam’s tight hold, “Agent?”

“You don’t like it?” Nam stepped his demeanor back, “You like ‘Princess’ instead?”

“Yes,” Seven responded a bit too quickly, “I would like ‘Princess’ better.”

Seven was led even further into the cheerful town. Some of the people waved at Nam while some didn’t even look his way. The once bright and happy town turned to mansions extraordinaire when they took a left. Looming mansion with huge gardens, bigger than he’d ever imagined, everywhere he looked.

 _So there_ **_are_** _bad guys who hate the dark and creepy places._

“And here we have my home,”

•••

_Saeran has entered the chatroom_

**Saeran:** Anybody here?

 **Saeran:** I’m bored and hungry

 **Saeran:** and apparently my brother didn’t leave me with food here

_Jaehee Kang has entered the chatroom_

**Jaehee Kang:** Oh hello, Saeran.

 **Saeran:** Hi

 **Saeran:** Will you order food for me?

 **Jaehee Kang:** Excuse me, what?

 **Saeran:** Call food for me

 **Saeran:** I’m starving and I don’t want to talk over the phone.

 **Jaehee Kang:** …

 **Jaehee Kang:** I’ll be right back.

_Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom_

_Rika has entered the chatroom_

**Rika:** Saeran! It’s nice to see that you’re here!

 **Saeran:** Hi Rika

 **Rika:** Oh, V and I just finished cooking. Would you like to join us?

 **Saeran:** Sounds good. Okay.

_Jaehee Kang has entered the chatroom_

**Jaehee Kang:** They said that they’ll deliver it right away.

 **Jaehee Kang:** Hello, Rika.

 **Saeran:** Thanks, Jaehee.

 **Saeran:** Sorry, Rika. I have to skip the lunch.

 **Rika:** No, it’s fine. We’ll have it some other day.

_Saeran has left the chatroom_

**Jaehee Kang:** He just… left.

 **Rika:** Maybe he’s busy?

 **Rika:** Better grab some lunch for yourself too, Jaehee.

 **Rika:** I’ll be going.

_Rika has left the chatroom_

_ZEN has entered the chatroom_

**ZEN:** I just had this weirdest dream.

 **Jaehee Kang:** It’s almost noon. You just woke up?

 **ZEN:** That’s the thing. I slept waaaaay too much

 **ZEN:** it’s giving me major creepy vibes

 **ZEN:** like someone’s watching us all

 **Jaehee Kang:** I’m sure that it was just a dream. Go grab lunch soon. Good bye.

_Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom_

**ZEN:** I hope Saeyoung’s okay though…

 **ZEN:** …wait, did I see Saeyoung or Saeran?

•••

“Darling, you know what fascinates me more than mansions?” Seven asked as he ran a hand through the sleak blue body of the car parked next to him, “Cars. Wonderful cars.”

“You can have that one if you’d like,” Nam leaned in closer to the car

Seven raised a brow, “Do you have pets?”

Nam smirked, “I heard the ladies want sensitive men, and I understand. That’s why I have a couple of cats in the household.”

_If this guy wasn’t mafia boss, he’d actually make a decent husband. That is, if he wasn’t easily reeled in by random women._

Seven grinned wide, “Really? Where?”

“Inside,” Nam responded, “And I think the one I wanted to introduce is ready.”

Seven nodded and they headed off inside. He was instantly bombarded by a five kittens running to his feet. He knelt down to play with them, even going as far as picking up two.

“She’s here!”

Seven looked up to see a woman about his age, standing in front of him, watching him closely. He put the kittens down and stood, him and the woman eye to eye. He walked towards her slowly and put his hand out.

“H-hi, I’m Sae-, I mean, Yi Jin. My name’s Yi Jin,” he spoke

“Her name’s MC,” Nam responded, “And she can’t hear you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 tired 2 proofread it's nearly 2am and i shluld be sleeping thank you very much


	32. Sleeping With the Enemy - 03

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember what I said in the After Ending of Daring the Devil? About how Saeran isn't ready for a relationship and how I didn't want to rush him into one? WELL I TAKE IT BACK. Saeran is one of the most smooth of all the characters. Slick tongue, gentle touches, flowers?!?!?! I take it all back. Also, instead of Yoosung's story going next for Seven's, it's most likely gonna be Saeran's (a continuation of Daring the Devil *screams*)

“What?” Seven asked, turning around to see Nam, “She… can’t hear me?”

“She’s deaf and I’ve been taking care of her since she was little,” Nam explained, “You can say that she’s my daughter now.”

“What happened to her real parents?” Seven asked

“Her real parents are my brother and his wife,” Nam answered, “They split up and now I’m taking care of her. She’s an absolute angel.”

Seven bit his lower lip a bit before turning back to look at the girl only to find that she was not around any longer.

“H-hey, where’d she go?” Seven asked, looking around the place

“She’s always like that. One minute she’s there, the next she’s not,” Nam pointed out, “Don’t worry, she’s still around. She just likes to be with herself most of the time.”

“Oh,” Seven muttered, “I, uh.” he cleared his throat then smiled at him, “Where to now?”

“I’ll get you settled in for a while if that would be fine for you,” Nam replied, “I have things to do.”

Seven nodded and let Nam lead him towards a room.

_Saeran has entered the chatroom_

**707:** u will never guess what happened

 **Saeran:** Got some news for you too…

 **707:** i cant wait to spend the year here!

 **Saeran:** Vanderwood gave you eleven days to finish your task.

 **707:** wait what

 **Saeran:** What?

 **707:** what do you mean eleven days?

 **Saeran:** What do you mean you want to spend the year there?

 **Saeran:** I thought you said you’d take a couple months?

 **Saeran:** What’s wrong, Saeyoung?

 **Saeran:** I can cover for you if there’s something wrong

 **707:** no wait why 11 days? just 11 days?

 **Saeran:** Lack of agents. But that’s not the point here.

 **Saeran:** The point is, you should be done in eleven days.

_Jumin Han has entered the chatroom_

**Jumin Han:** …

 **Jumin Han:** Did I come in on the wrong time?

 **Saeran:** And you have to arrest the boss

 **Saeran:** They promised that they wouldn’t make you do it

 **Saeran:** I swear, when we have enough, we’re ditching that greasy place

 **707:** it’s not half bad…

 **Jumin Han:** If you two need help finding new jobs, C &R would always have enough space for a couple of web developers.

 **Saeran:** Help me convince him

 **Saeran:** What he’s doing is life threatening

 **Saeran:** And he wants to spend a year doing it

 **707:** If you met her, you’d understand

 **Saeran:** Her who?

 **Saeran:** And you can go roll out one of your cars and go choose any girl you want

 **Saeran:** don’t get involved with the dark stuff

 **707:** shes not actually so much “dark stuff”

 **707:** she looks really innocent and kind

 **707:** could this be…

 **707:** a

 **707:** CRUSH ♡♡♡

 **Jumin Han:** You are not a hormonal teenager.

 **707:** but if u saw her ur mind will change

 **Saeran:** Look I know that this is pretty much the first time you’ve encountered a female specimen

 **707:** it is not  >.<

 **Saeran:** Get a hold of yourself!

 **Saeran:** You’re not 16!

 **Saeran:** You’re 21 

**Saeran:** And you better think more about yourself in the future than yourself now

 **707:** theres no point of worrying the future if im not there

 **707:** so it’s better to think of now

 **Saeran:** Eleven. Days.

 **Saeran:** Both Vanderwood and I are giving you eleven days

 **Saeran:** Or you’ll be replaced.

_707 has left the chatroom_

**Jumin Han:** You know, I have never had close relationships with my younger siblings,

 **Jumin Han:** I don’t know if it’s the worst or best decision that I ever made,

 **Jumin Han:** After all, they were only half-siblings.

 **Jumin Han:** But all I knew was that, if I tried controlling one of them, they’d only try to free themselves even more.

 **Saeran:** You don’t understand. It’s for his own sake

 **Jumin Han:** Yes but at what cost?

 **Jumin Han:** He’s gonna be back with you, as safe as your job could get you,

 **Jumin Han:** But probably miserable.

_ZEN has entered the chatroom_

**Saeran:** The thing is, he’s safe.

 **Saeran:** He’s my twin. I lost him once, I’m not losing him twice

_Saeran has left the chatroom_

**ZEN:** Whoa

 **ZEN:** what’s going on with the twins?

_Yoosung☆ has entered the chatroom_

**Yoosung☆:** Seven’s venting to me

 **Yoosung☆:** what happened?

 **Yoosung☆:** oh okay wait

 **ZEN:** Are they really fighting over a girl?

 **Jumin Han:** It seems that Saeyoung wants to stay because of a woman.

 **ZEN:** I mean, why not, right?

_707 has entered the chatroom_

**707:** im so sorry Saeran guilt was eating me up

 **707:** but im serious about staying im so sorry

 **ZEN:** Who is this girl anyway?

 **707:** the daughter of this mafia boss

 **Yoosung☆:** This is what you were telling me about?

 **ZEN:** Ooh yeah that’s dangerous

 **ZEN:** I’m on Saeran’s side on this one

 **Jumin Han:** Why are you picking sides?

 **Yoosung☆:** I understand that you like her…

 **Yoosung☆:** but isn’t she a bit too dangerous for you?

 **707:** T.T

 **707:** she cant even hear a word i say

 **707:** shes less dangerous than the water in the taps

 **Yoosung☆:** …what’s in the taps that make it so dangerous?

 **707:** dihydrogen monoxide

_707 has left the chatroom_

**Yoosung☆:** WHAT?

 **ZEN:** Yoosung, even I’m not that gullible

 **ZEN:** And you’re the one in college

 **Yoosung☆:** oh wait…

 **Yoosung☆:** that just means water 

**Jumin Han:** Honestly my jokes are funnier.

•••

Once Seven exited the chat, he dialed the most familiar number to him: Saeran’s number.

 _“Hello.”_ his twin deadpanned

“Saeran, please understand me,” he responded, “It’s, it’s not only even because of that. It’s… there are too many of them here and I’ll probably get killed if I were to arrest the boss.”

There was a sigh on the other line, _“Then what do you want me to do? Wait for you and hope you’ll come back alive?”_

“I’ll come back, Saeran, I promise. Right now, it’s time that I need,” Seven answered, “And besides, why didn’t just Vanderwood tell me directly about this? I had my earpiece on this whole time.”

_“Saeyoung, you’re kidding, right?”_

“What? No I’m not. This isn’t the right time to,”

_“Saeyoung you’re missing. We can’t track your correct location. One minute you’re in the US, the next you’re in the Sahara.”_

“What in the world?” Seven mumbled, “I’ll… I’ll find the reason why. Soon. I’ll get him to buy me a laptop and-,”

_Knock knock knock_

Seven blanched then whispered, “I think someone’s been listening to us.”

_“What?”_

“I have to go,” Seven continued before walking over to the door

He cautiously opened it, ready to jam it back closed if the person posed a threat to him, only, a woman obviously smaller than him stood there, a huge sketchpad in her arms and two pens in her hands as she looked up innocently at him. He opened the door fully and offered a smile, gesturing for her to come in.

MC, with a smile, skipped over to the bed and sat down, inviting Seven to do the same. Seven closed the door and followed her after making sure that no one was with her.

MC was already writing something on the sketchpad that she brought once Seven had reached her.

On the paper, were those first typical words you’d say to a person only, it was written so beautifully that Seven could already imagine her heavenly voice saying those words.

_What’s your name?_

Seven took the other pen from her and wrote, not quite matching her perfect penmanship.

_Yi Jin. nice to meet you, MC_

_Nice to meet you too._

Then a cute smiley face was provided next to her words.

_When did you meet Uncle Dad?_

_last night_

Seven bit his lip. Would the pace that he and Nam taking too fast for MC? Would it set a bad example for her?

 _That was quick, don’t you think?_ She asked

_well… it is but we’re not really rushing things_

_But he said something about… marrying you? I think? He was signing so fast I couldn’t follow._

_marrying me? we literally just met last night_

Seven looked up to her face to see her expressions about it.

_That’s the thing. But if I were to decide, I think it’s fine. You seem nice._

_does your uncle dad bring many women home?_

This made MC laugh silently.

_Jealous much?_

Seven shrugged, _maybe~_

_Yeah, he does. But they don’t make it past three days here._

Seven raised a brow, _why?_

_Well… sometimes, they don’t like guys who already have kids to take care of. Especially since the kid’s almost their age._

_how old are you?_

_Turning 21 in three months._

_haha i’m 21! but it’s fine! we can be best friends!_

_Sometimes, they get turned off by all the guys around._

_i’m fine. i have a workplace full of guys~_

_Oftentimes, they… can’t quite accept Uncle Dad’s work._

_…and that is?_

_He’s a… mafia boss._

_oh…_

_You’re not backing out now, are you?_

_darling i like my men daring_

_Really? So you’re going to stay? I mean, it’s sad seeing Uncle Dad so lonely. He’s not growing any younger._

_of course i’m going to stay. i’ll get this wonderful man and an equally wonderful daughter_

MC grinned wide at that, _I think a woman who would willingly stay is immediately accepted in my book. Welcome to the family._

Then she added a small heart at the end of the sentence which made Seven’s heart beat faster.

_thanks that means a lot to me_

MC nodded before grabbing the pen from Seven, closing the sketchpad. She waved goodbye to him and left him all alone once again in the room.

Seven let go of the breath that he didn’t know he was holding. A small smile played on his face because of the encounter he just had with the most angelic woman he had ever met.

•••

_Saeran has entered the chatroom_

**707:** Saeran!!!

 **707:** you didnt log in for dayssssss!!!

_ZEN has entered the chatroom_

**707:** i missed you!!!

 **707:** a lot!!!

 **707:** i really really miss you a lot!!!

 **707:** how have you been???

 **Saeran:** So what’s this? You’re acting as if you care?

 **ZEN:** ???

 **ZEN:** Saeran, Saeyoung’s been waiting for you all week

 **Saeran:** So?

 **707:** whats gotten into you?

 **Saeran:** Stop promising if you’ll just break them, okay?

_Saeran has left the chatroom_

**707:** um…

 **707:** is there something i should know?

 **707:** something that happened and you all aren’t telling me?

_Yoosung☆ has entered the chatroom_

**Yoosung☆:** Hi Saeyoung!

 **ZEN:** Well,

 **ZEN:** he’s been like that since last month…

 **707:** what do you mean?

 **ZEN:** We had a meeting last month for a party and he wasn’t like himself

 **ZEN:** Maybe it’s time to go home?

 **Yoosung☆:** Oh yeah, I remember that

 **Yoosung☆:** he was extremely rude to everyone

 **Yoosung☆:** Sorry for the word

 **Yoosung☆:** he even debated with Jumin whether we should hold a party or not

 **Yoosung☆:** it took quite a while to calm him down

 **Yoosung☆:** And I agree with Zen

 **Yoosung☆:** It’s been five months maybe he’s missing you?

 **ZEN:** And by “quite a while” he means three hours

 **707:** but i havent finished fixing the gps yet

 **707:** nobody can track me

 **ZEN:** Yeah but look at how he’s acting

 **707:** maybe it’s just sepanx

 **707:** it’s normal for us twins

 **Yoosung☆:** But he’s just so different now

 **Yoosung☆:** I think you should, I don’t know, maybe come visit him?

 **Yoosung☆:** Even if it’s just a day, go visit him

 **Yoosung☆:** For his own sake

 **ZEN:** Last I heard, Jaehee’s been visiting him

 **707:** and?

 **ZEN:** Not looking good

 **707:** if i get the chance i’d go home

 **ZEN:** Good, good

 **707:** oh wait i have to go someone’s coming to my room

_707 has left the chatroom_

**Yoosung☆:** …

 **Yoosung☆:** Who’s gonna tell him?

 **ZEN:** I don’t know if it’s the right time…

_Jaehee Kang has entered the chatroom_

**Jaehee Kang:** I visited Saeran.

 **Jaehee Kang:** He is nowhere to be found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> where u at saeran baby?


End file.
